Sands of Time
by The New Duke
Summary: In the wake of his ascension as the Hero of Time, Link is faced with a decision: remain lost in the sorrow of the present, or journey into the past and protect the peoples that Princess Zelda left behind. His choice is simple. SEQUEL TO "PROPHECY OF AGES"
1. The Beginning and The End

The air was still. Even time itself seemed to have grown stale in the peaceful glade. The blue sky rained down shards of light upon the vista, sparkling off the dewdrops in a dazzling show of beauty. The surrounding forest stood stoically, standing guard against those who would defile the sacred stone structure in the middle of the clearing. No animals entered here; no birds sung their songs, no spiders spun their webs, no deer made their beds in the dell. It was as if they knew of the sanctity of the structure, that they did not belong.

The building itself was entrancing. Its high stone walls reached up high into the air, adorned with fanciful stained glass windows, or what was left of them. Nearly every window was shattered, leaving just fragments of the beauty they once had portrayed. The top of the temple—for that is what the structure was—ended in jagged ramparts with vines trailing down to swing across the battered windows like so many drapes. The ground around the building was littered with pieces of stone lost from the ancient walls, each different in size and shape, but each with a history all its own. Even the grand oaken doors that opened into the temple were decrepit and missing boards to make them whole. It was as if the entire place was crumbling into dust. Dust that would find its place among the sands of time.

Since the beginning of time, the temple had made its home in one place. It was, and is, the epicenter of legends. As time changed, so did the world around the temple, but the temple remained the same. Day to day, year to year, it was forever.

However the age of eternity was coming to a close. Magic was all but forgotten, dormant within the hearts of man. No longer did legends rule in Hyrule. No longer did the people pray to their Goddesses.

The sands of time were running out. Soon the hourglass would be turned again, and a new age would appear. The Temple of Time would crumble, and no legends would survive. The wind can only carry them so far.

Within the temple was little save dust and memories. Light cascaded through cracks in the vines to reach across the floor. Rotted timber from the ceiling above had fallen haphazardly, and the empty pedestal and the raised dais at the end of the hall held none of the luster they had once revealed.

One thing remained untouched. The dark magics that had created it also protected it, keeping it immortal within an eternity that was just realizing its mortality.

A statue of a girl. A young woman, her face drawn in determination and suffering, her arms held forward in a curious gesture. It was not as if to ward off danger, but to fight it, push it back by the mere strength of her will. She was holding the sands of time at bay, fighting the flow that cannot be fought. Her arms, lifeless. Her chest, still. Her cheeks, cold. Her hair, hard as granite. But in her ear lingered a promise, a promise hundreds of years old.

"I love you."

Time did not move here, but the nature of time was shifting, changing. The sands were diminishing, but there were still some that remained. Some stories to tell, some adventures to be had, some losses to be endured.

The sands of time had not run out.

Blue light shone out from within the chamber, bright blue light that rippled across the ancient stone walls like water, finding the same gaps that had let the sun's rays into the great hall and exploding out of them with something akin to childlike joy. It began slowly, building in intensity, until it flashed once like the sun and disappeared, leaving the temple as it had been for uninterrupted centuries.

The sands of time had not run out.

Music began to fill the empty hall, music that carried with it something stronger than mere notes. The melody beat with a heart of its own, surging and receding, flowing and ebbing, pushing and pulling, exploring every corner for life to augment and sustain. Vines flourished and exploded in growth, weakened greens forcing their way through the cracks in the stone floor blossomed in a second, and even the grass creeping in through the open door shot up and multiplied.

The melody ended, but the music did not die out, it would echo among the life within the chamber for years, beating its tune.

The sands of time had not run out.

Now a voice. A voice of a girl, a young woman. A voice of emotion. Resolve, fear, anger, strength, courage, and love. The first voice in hundreds of years. The last voice in this age.

"Link?"

The sands of time had not run out.

The sands of time.

This is the beginning and the end.


	2. The Hero of Time

THE HERO OF TIME

* * *

The wind blew exceptionally hard through the inland town of Outset. It whistled through the empty cobbled streets, blowing against locked windows and doors that hid the frightened townsfolk. Through the narrow alleys and passages it went, scouring the village for any foolhardy enough to stay outside. There were none. At the southern edge of the town it crashed against the face of the cliff that sheltered the people living in the wooden houses below. Up the cliff face did the wind blow, higher, higher, high into the sky, following the rock formation.

And when the wind had nearly reached the top of the cliff, it encountered a shadow on the rock face, an enormous shadow cast by the monster betwixt it and the evening sun. It was massive; shaped like a bird, it was too large to be any ordinary carrion. At least a hundred feet in length, the monster floated above the village below, riding upon the wind as it continued to rise. Two blood red eyes peered out from its feathered brow, searching for any prey to torture and consume. Its wings were a mottled mixture of crimson, blue, and white, and its three long tails wafted behind it in shades of stunning gold.

Up the wind raged, around the enormous wings to the very top of the cliff where it blew fiercely across the barren plateau. Except that today, the plateau was not barren. There was a small patch of green. Green, that was moving, running, sprinting toward the edge of the flat terrain. His tunic and long green cap flailed behind him as he ran, catching the gusts that seemed not to affect the man that fought them.

He reached the edge of the plateau, and jumped.

Like an eagle did he fall, arms and legs spread wide to control his descent, and electric blue eyes locked onto his target. His face was drawn in determination and fearless resolve; it was not a look that said he could not afford to fail, but rather that he simply wouldn't. It seemed like he fell for an eternity, wind streaming past his body, but his shadow upon the cliff face soon began to draw near to a similar darkness. The man drew his sword out of the intricate sheath that was fastened upon his back, and, with an almighty roar that could even be heard in the town hundreds of feet below, stabbed his legendary blade into the back of the winged beast.

With a screech of surprise and pain, the bird faltered; the beat of its giant wings slowed, then stopped altogether. Together, man and bird plunged toward the ground, tumbling around and around in a nauseating freefall. It took all of his strength for the man to keep from being flung off from his perch upon the bird's back, and even with his adrenaline pumping wildly, his arms soon grew tired.

The noise had aroused some cautious curiosity in the town below, and slowly people were beginning to emerge from their houses, each inevitably turning to watch and wonder at the incident occurring just above their town. Some began to laugh and dance, some just stared in disbelief; some began to panic, hurriedly calling out to their family and gathering some distance away from where the giant bird would crash into the town.

They didn't have long to wait. Wood, brick, and dirt erupted from where the giant bird smashed into the cobblestone; the streets shook with the force of the impact and the shockwave sent many townsfolk tumbling.

It took some time for the dust to clear, and the thinning cloud of earth saw some of the more intrepid townsfolk beginning to creep toward the unmoving mass of flesh and feathers that had landed in their village square.

Without warning, one of the giant wings began to move, sending everyone scurrying back to the safety of the shadows around the plaza. The wing twitched and rose slowly, inch by inch, until the figure of a man could be seen in the shadows underneath. With a loud grunt, he threw off the giant feathery mass and jumped to the cobbled street below, Master Sword in hand. Breathing heavily, he collapsed against the side of the bird's carcass, momentarily overtaken by exhaustion.

As he rested, some of the townsfolk began to re-emerge. Who was this stranger? they wondered, too accustomed to the silence that the monster had laid over their town to voice their questions aloud. Did he kill the monstrous bird? Where did he come from? Slowly, the entire village gathered around the man, waiting.

After some time he began to stir again. With a groan, the young man pushed himself back to his feet, and after taking a moment to wipe the blood off of the blade, sheathed his sword. At the sight of his weapon some of the oldest villagers became excited, gesturing wildly and whispering, "The Goddesses have saved us! Princess Zelda has not forgotten her people!"

Before long, one man worked his way forward and stood before the rest of the town. His grey hair and beard contrasted with the fortitude and strength that showed through his frail frame.

"My name is Deteont; I am the mayor of this town," he said after a moment. The mayor's eyes slid to the giant carcass behind the green clad warrior. "Who—who are you stranger?"

"My name is Link," the young man replied without hesitation. "I am the Hero of Time."

* * *

"Fill'er up!" Link called out to the tavern keeper, already too drunk to speak clearly. Dutifully, the stout man refilled Link's beaker with brandy, giving the town's hero a sideways look for his crude behavior. Now with what he deemed the proper amount of drink in his cup, Link again sagged against the wooden table.

The tavern was small, less than half a dozen tables were strewn about the room, but it was by no means poor. Link had, at first, been treated to the highest quality of wine the tavern owned and had been surrounded by no few villagers wanting to shake his hand and thank him again and again for saving their town. By the time the wine had run out, most of the townsfolk had returned to their homes. Now Link was the only patron left in the tavern, and the even the brandy he was given was of progressively lower quality.

Link laid his head against the wooden table and closed his eyes. He could almost see her, could almost hear her laugh. Almost.

It was getting harder and harder to remember, even when his other thoughts were quieted by drink, how beautiful she looked in the sun. Three years and he had nearly forgotten everything about her. He cursed at himself. He may never be able to forgive himself for what happened, but he could live with the guilt as long as he could see her face.

Link took another swig of brandy. He just needed his other thoughts to quiet. He just needed to see her again…

_

* * *

_

Link cried out, his scream mixing with hers as Ganon's magic took hold of her. The dark energy seeped through her, covering her with what looked like black fire.

_Link thrashed around in his captor's grip, but to no avail. He screamed again as the black light faded away. She seemed almost untouched by the magic, still standing in the same position, still holding her arms up to protect Link. But she didn't stir. Her chest didn't move, her heart didn't beat. It was her corpse that stood before Link, her corpse and his broken heart._

"NOO!" Link screamed, shooting up in bed. Sweat covered his brow, and he had a hard time controlling the gut-wrenching spasms that were still shaking his body. Burying his face in his hands, Link focused on slowing his breathing. "Just another dream," he told himself over and over again. _No, it's not just a dream_, he cried out silently._ Dreams aren't real._

Slowly he brought his head up to survey the room he found himself in, noting the painful throbbing behind his eyes as he did so. It was small, with just the one cot he had woken on and a washbasin on a shelf near the window.

Link pushed himself to his feet, wincing at the pain in his head, and stumbled over to the washbasin. After thoroughly splashing water all over his face, he took a look out the window. The sun was already fairly high in the sky, and down the street he could see the townsfolk making preparations to burn the remains of the giant bird he had felled yesterday. As he used his long green cap to wipe the water off his face, he realized from his location that he must still be in the tavern. With a groan, he made his way to the door, trying and failing to remember how he got into the room last night.

Down the stairs, Link dragged up a stool and took a seat at the bar across from the tavern keeper. "Anything for a headache?" he asked quietly. The older man nodded and silently went about preparing something for him. Link was grateful for the silence, and he used the respite to glance around the empty chamber.

"All our folk are out helpin' get rid a' that big ol' bird," the tavern keeper said, putting a putrid yellow drink on the bar in front of Link. "I'd be too if it weren't for ya needin' to use our spare room."

Link ignored the remark and took a long drink of whatever was in the mug, forcing himself not to gag it back up. The other man seemed like he wanted to keep talking, but Link got up and moved to a table before he could say any more. Quiet was what he wanted now, and as soon as he was able, he planned to be gone from this dead-end town.

After choking down the rest of his drink and a small meal that the tavern keeper set before him, Link returned to his room and succumbed to his weariness from the fight the day before. He slept through the remainder of the day and well into the night, only rising a few hours before daybreak when he could be sure that no one remained awake.

Silent as a shadow, he belted his sword onto his back and climbed through the room's window, dexterously dropping to the ground below and rolling to soften the landing. With no more noise than a cat, Link leapt out of the roll and sprinted down the street, his feet seeming to barely disturb the dust as he ran.

He loathed the hours of ceremony and gift giving that inevitably accompanied him whenever he left a town like this. It was pointless and made him feel ridiculous. _Much better to be gone in the night_, he said to himself silently.

Link made his way out the eastern edge of town, only slowing once he was well sheltered by the trees and underbrush around the village. Breathing only slightly deeper than usual, Link veered north ducking through several wheat fields to avoid being spotted as he made his way toward where he had stashed his horse and belongings before climbing up the cliff two days ago.

It didn't take long to find the small alcove. His horse, whom he had named Tingle after an odd little man he'd met in castle town, was still waiting patiently under the spruce tree Link had tied him to. Without wasting any time, Link quickly uncovered the rest of his belongings from in the brush where he'd hidden them. Unwrapping his pack from the waterproof skins he'd covered it with, he saddled Tingle, hoisted his bow over his back, and rode out without word or backwards glance.

Precaution led him to stay just off the road leading out of Outset so that he could easily hide in the brush at any sign of villagers out searching for him. However, the morning passed without incident, and by afternoon Link had begun to relax slightly.

It was nearing evening before Link saw anyone on the road at all. A lone horseman appeared just after his dust cloud, riding hard on the road toward Outset. Although it couldn't have been a villager, Link still left the main road and waited in the dense trees for the man to pass. He didn't want to risk the horseman telling anyone in Outset about meeting him on the road.

As the rider flew by, Link peered through the trees and was suddenly thankful that he'd forsook the road. The man wore the royal colors of Hyrule, and his red hat made him out to be part of the messenger's guild. _Likely another missive for me from one of the nobles_, Link thought with a sigh. _Or worse, another mission from Princess Zelda_.

Link had quickly come to despise these constant tasks that Zelda set upon him. He understood that it was his duty as the Hero of Time, but he was seldom allowed to rest, and even when he was, his legacy garnered so much attention that he felt he was suffocating under the pressure of notoriety; he just wanted to be left alone.

Leading Tingle back up to the narrow road, Link remounted and continued on his way. Trees slowly gave way to wide grassy fields as he rode, but he saw very little in the way of farmland; the next town was still too far away. He traveled as far as he could, until darkness had nearly overtaken the land, before stopping to rest for the night. With neither a farm nor the next town in sight, he led Tingle into a small copse of trees a little off the main road and curled up with the waterproof skins under some brush.

Link rode the entire next day as well, passing few other travelers on the road. However, toward the end of the day he passed several small farmhouses and managed to trade some rupees for dinner and a bed for the night.

Link woke up early in the morning and left, careful not to wake anyone as he snuck out the door and retrieved Tingle from the barn. The crisp dawn air bit as his ears as he rode, reprimanding him for his rude departure.

He saw more people along the road as the morning progressed, and by noon he'd found himself in the next town. Link made his way straight for the inn, hoping to stay there for a few days before moving onward; he wasn't in a hurry to get back to the castle town.

After leaving Tingle with the stable boy, Link entered the inn and took a long look around. The building doubled as the town's tavern; ten tables were scattered around the big room, and the stairs at the back of the hall led to about as many rooms for rent. Few other travelers and townsfolk graced the tables at this time in the day, so Link was surprised to see a girl singing and playing the harp on the small stage across the floor from the bar.

_She's pretty good_, Link admitted. After a quick yet futile search for the innkeeper behind the bar, Link took a seat at one of the tables to listen to the music. The melody was beautiful, and Link quickly got lost within the tale of the ballad. He grasped that the song was about two lovers separated by a vast desert. The girl sung of one lover trying to cross the wasteland, but only making it halfway before collapsing from exhaustion. But when the dying man looked up from the sand, he saw his lover lying next to him; she had tried to cross the desert as well. They died together, happily embracing in the warm sands that had separated them.

The song died out, and Link was left sitting in the residual spell of the song.

"No, that won't do at all," said one of the men sitting right before the stage. Link shook off his stupor and realized by the man's apron that he must be the innkeeper. "Why would I want all my customers depressed? A happy man be a drinkin' man," he continued. "Unless you got somethin' better, you'd better just cough up some real coin for a room tonight."

Curious to see the girl's reaction, Link looked at her to realize that she was not even paying attention to the older man, but was staring intently at him, a curious look in her eyes. She did not shy away her gaze when Link's met her own either. Their eyes locked for some time, each refusing to back down or look away.

"Well that's that I s'pose," the innkeeper said, breaking the spell.

"Wait," the girl said quickly, bringing her hands back up the harp. "I have a few more."

The next songs were country tunes and simple ditties, but they were upbeat and seemed to please the innkeeper.

"Now that's a sight better!" the man exclaimed. "You've got your room, but make sure you don't play no more of that downer stuff from before. This ain't no nobleman's high-to-do."

The girl nodded, seeming almost bored with events.

"Jus' make sure you're in here before supper," the innkeeper finished, standing up and heading back to the bar. Link waited a bit before following him, watching the girl as she packed away her harp and got off the stage. Her dirtied trousers and too large cloth shirt were hardly what women wore in Hyrule, yet she didn't seem perturbed at all by her situation. Jet black hair hung halfway down her back before being bound with a bit of string, and she was constantly blowing loose strands out of her face. As she left the tavern, Link realized with a shock that she was no young girl. The men's clothes and petit frame adeptly hid a pale young woman with at least a score of years on her. _She might actually be pretty underneath all that glowering_, Link laughed to himself cynically. She didn't look at him again, but Link got the sinking feeling that he would see more of her before long.

After paying for his room, Link spent the remainder of the evening in the tavern getting drunk and gambling away a good portion of the coin Zelda had given him for the journey. The black-haired girl reappeared after some time and played some simple tunes for the tavern as well, but she gave Link no more odd stares.

For the most part, the tavern was filled with men from the town who came to relax after a day's work in the heat; few travelers ever came through a small town like this. From what Link saw, there were only two others besides him who were just passing through; one was a tradesman on his way to Hyrule castle town with what looked like a collection of cloths to sell, and the other was the girl with the harp.

As the evening wore on, more and more of the townsfolk began drifting home to their families and their wives. It wasn't long before Link was nearly alone in the tavern with the odd girl from earlier. Through his drunken stupor, he barely comprehended that she was looking at him again with the same intent gaze as before. Why did she keep bothering him? He just wanted to be left alone with his drink.

Link ignored her, turning his chair away from the stage to avoid her stare. After a moment, she continued to play her music, but the tone of her song was different than before, it was deep and rich, the spirit of adventure. With a groan, Link rose and stumbled toward the back of the chamber. He just wanted to drink in peace.

The music shifted tone once more as he neared the stairs. Now the notes softly reverberated against the walls, deep bass throbbed against his chest as the higher notes spiraled around and around in thrilling riffs. It was almost as if…

With a gasp Link saw her. Her beautiful hair, her dazzling smile, her deep brown eyes.

"_This is nice," Link said. Together they took off their socks and shoes, dangling their feet in the cool lake water as the sun continued to set. Glancing at Malon, Link was struck by how beautifully the sun reflected off of her long red hair. 'What am I thinking?' he said to himself, quickly turning his gaze back to the lake. After a moment though, his eyes found their way back to Malon, only to find that she was looking at him as well. His striking blue eyes locked with her elegant brown ones for what seemed like an eternity. Link could happily stay like this forever._

As soon as it was there, the memory faded, leaving Link back in the tavern. Tears began to run down his face.

_The music!_ he realized with a start. The music had awakened the memory within him. Spinning around Link saw that the girl had stopped playing and was staring at him fixedly, holding the harp loosely in her hands. He took an involuntary step forward as if to beg her to continue. _Malon…_

Ignoring his tears, Link spun around again and strode up the stairs to his room. It was time to move on to the next town.


	3. Pain and Memories

PAIN AND MEMORIES

Morning came slowly.

Link slept fitfully, dreams tormenting him with memories just out of reach, and as the sun began to inch toward the horizon, he rose and left the inn. The predawn air revitalized him as he toured the town's crossing streets, and by the time he had returned to the tavern, he felt well enough to order himself a large tankard of mead. Making sure that the raven-haired girl was nowhere to be seen, Link sat in the corner of the chamber and to spent the day lost in his ale, glowering at anyone who looked to disturb him.

As the day passed and evening drew near, townsfolk began to drift again to the tavern, ready for another night of drink and high spirits. Soon the entire chamber was filled with unruly citizens clamoring for entertainment.

"There's no music tonight folks," the bartender said for the fourth time. "Let me get ya' another drink."

Yet even with all the commotion, Link still noticed when the door to the tavern swung open and admitted an unwelcome guest. _Shit!_ Link thought as the messenger he'd passed on the road began to work his way across the floor. _I thought I'd left him in Outset._ Link's vain attempt to imagine a way out of the situation was, however, interrupted by one of the rowdier townsfolk.

"What about you, eh?" the man said loud enough for the entire tavern to hear. "You're wearin' some strange clothes fellah. How about you get up and do us a jig?"

"Get lost," Link muttered absentmindedly, trying to keep his eye on the messenger.

"What did you say fellah?" the man asked, shoving his finger into Link's chest. "You trying to start somethin'?"

Link ignored the man, searching the room for some means of escape from the unwanted harbinger of responsibility, but, whether from his drunken daze or not, none revealed themselves.

"You ignoring me buddy?" his voice had taken on a harsh edge, causing a tense hush to fall on the rest of the tavern. When Link didn't respond, the burly man wrapped a hand in the front of his tunic and lifted Link to his feet. "You're pretty stupid kid. You showin' off for a girl or somethin'?" He laughed loudly for the entire tavern to hear. "She must be quite the little whore, eh?"

Fire exploded inside Link's stomach. Yelling in rage, he swung his fist into the side of the villager's head. The hapless man flew sideways, collapsing into the next table over with a crunch. Within seconds the tavern was in an uproar. Half a dozen men threw down their drinks and surrounded Link while the rest moved to the walls and made noise. The townsfolk that attacked were still sober enough to fight together, each taking turns darting forward and throwing a punch or drunken kick. Link put up a heroic fight, but, hampered by drink, soon found himself lying on the dirt outside the tavern with enough bruises to make him wince as he struggled to suck the air back into his lungs.

He lay on the ground for quite some time, eyes closed, feeling the cool dirt path on his cheek.

"Master Link?" asked a voice from above him somewhere.

"Damn it," Link muttered, remembering the messenger.

"Sir?"

"Yeah, I'm Link."

"I have a message from the castle sir."

Reaching out, Link snatched the letter from the messenger's hand, not bothering to hide the contempt on his face as he did so. Then, unceremoniously stuffing the letter into his belt pouch, Link rose from the ground and strode off into the darkness.

All of his belongings, including the Master Sword, were still stored away in the room he'd rented at the tavern, but he knew that he wouldn't be welcome again until all the patrons had returned to their homes for the night. Until then he'd just have to find a place to take a nap and wait.

His wandering feet took him on a tour all around the town, but finally led him back to the stables where Tingle was held. After taking a moment to quiet the excited horse, Link crawled into the stall and lay down in a large pile of hay. He thought he heard the crunch of a footstep falling on the thin layer of dry grasses behind him, but when nothing else broke the silence, Link gave the sound up to his imagination and drifted off to sleep.

A few hours later Link crept out of the stables and made his way back toward the inn. The innkeeper ignored him as he walked through the door, continuing to clean the empty common room from the night's activities. As he walked up the stairs to his room, Link heard the tavern door open and close again. Quickening his step in case it was one of the townsfolk from the brawl earlier, he ducked into his small chamber and locked the door behind him. Sinking onto his cot, Link fell again to sleep, resolving to read the letter in the morning.

Half the day passed before Link finally broke the wax seal on the decorative parchment. _The royal seal_, Link noticed as he opened the letter. _From Princess Zelda then._ The missive was short and to the point.

_Link, please return to Hyrule Castle as soon as you are able, I have an urgent mission for you across the Great Sea._

_Damn that Zelda!_ Link cursed silently. _She summons me like some dog!_ Scowling, he took another swig of his brandy. There was no use trying to escape the summons now; his responsibilities as the Hero of Time kept him tethered to the castle like a leash. Once Zelda called, he had no choice but to listen.

Link grunted angrily and set his drink down. _No use waiting around, _he told himself. _If I'm going then I'm going now._ Standing up, he tossed a few rupees to the bartender for his drink and ascended the stairs to his room. He knew it would only take him a few hours to get his things and buy supplies for the journey, and he wanted to be out of this town before the village men returned to the tavern for the night's drinking.

With Tingle saddled, supplies packed, and Master Sword strapped on his back, Link set out for Hyrule Castle. The steady sway of the horse comforted Link as he passed the last few buildings of the town and opened up his map of the Hylian Province. He was unused to the southern lands, but it seemed that he would be at the castle within a month if he traveled hard.

As he tucked the map back into his saddle bags, he took out the letter from the princess. Resentment burned within him; why had the Goddesses chosen his life to ruin? Nothing had gone right for him since he'd become the Hero of Time. How much more could be taken away from him?

Link crushed the letter in his hand and threw it aside, spitting after it as he rode. This was his lot; there was no changing it now.

Weeks of travel passed.

Link rode alone, forsaking company, only interacting with other people when he would stop at taverns along the road to drink. Link had always enjoyed solidarity, but there had been a time, not too many years ago, where the company of another would have caused him happiness as well. No more though. Now he would rather lose himself in the past, in a time before Hyrule.

The journey itself was very monotonous and unexciting. The days were long, the nights were cold, and the only respite Link got was when he would pass through a town and drown himself with ale. He didn't see her again though; it seemed that no amount of drink could make her face reappear.

As the days passed and the castle town began to draw near, Link fell into a black mood. The castle seemed to epitomize all that he hated about the situation he found himself in, and having its tall spires break the horizon put a darkness in his heart that would not fade.

And there was something else too. Unless he wanted to journey several days out of the way, Link would have to ride right past the Temple of Time on his way to the castle town.

Link scowled. _The Temple of Time…_ That place held too many painful memories for him. In fact, he hadn't been back to the temple since…

_The Master Sword fell out of his fingers onto the ground, and he dropped to his knees. Leaning back, he gazed helplessly up into Malon's lifeless stone face._

_ "She wasn't supposed to get hurt," Link muttered. He did not cry, for he had no tears left to shed, but his voice was tinged with misery and regret. Zelda, having regained her posture, glided up behind him and lay a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Can't you do anything to save her?" Link asked desperately. Zelda shook her head._

_ "Only the Goddesses have the power to overturn death," she said sadly. "I'm sorry." _

Link shook his head violently, clearing it of the memory. "Damn it," he muttered, spurring Tingle on down the sunlit road.The Temple of Time was at least a day away; the sooner he passed it the better.

That night he managed to earn himself a bed at a farmhouse by helping herd in some goats that had wandered into the woods around the pasture. After corralling the last of the herd into the barn, the farmer led him inside to where a hot dinner was waiting.

"C'mon in boy," the man said when Link lingered at the front door. "We got potatoes waitin'!" As Link sat down, the farmer introduced him to the rest of his family. "This here's my wife, Penitia," he said with a grin. "Best cook outside Hyrule castle. And these," he gestured to his three children with a hearty laugh. "Are troublemakers! I'd warn ya' to steer clear of 'em, but I doubt they'd let ya'."

The food was delicious, and Link wasted no time in diving into the meal. Having spent the last of his money on brandy in the previous town, food had been rather scarce for Link the last few days. He talked little as he gorged himself, but soon grew irritated when the family tried to include him in dinner conversation.

"Where're ya' from Link?"

Link muttered that lived on the road.

"You're a swordsman right? You lookin' for work in the city?"

Link grunted something unintelligible without looking up from his plate.

"You ever been to the castle before, Link?"

Again, he grunted. The rest of the meal went much the same until Link excused himself to bed and left the table. Even with his unresponsive demeanor the children seemed sad to see him go, but the farmer cheerily got up as well and showed him to where there was an extra cot laid out in the storage room upstairs.

"Sorry that I can't offer ya' any better, but I figgur' it's gotta be nicer than sleepin' outside," the man said with a shrug. "Thanks again for all yer help."

Link lay down on the cot as the farmer left, happy to finally be away from all the questions. The man was right, the cot was a lot more comfortable than sleeping outside, but was it worth it? Link fell asleep slowly, already planning to rise and leave early, before the family woke.

That night, Link's dreams were dark. Black fire, everything was burning, everything was burning! He could hear Malon screaming through the flames, but he couldn't see her, couldn't help her. The flames were too hot! She screamed again. Again and again. "Malon!" Link yelled.

A scream.

Link woke with a jolt and jumped off the cot. Someone was screaming downstairs! Quicker than the wind, Link grabbed the Master Sword and leapt down the flight of steps. In a flash he took in the scene before him.

The farmer's wife was cowering in the corner of the room, clutching her children and screaming. The farmer was bent over in front of them, blood flowing down his face, vainly trying to protect them from an armed group of men that had appeared while Link had slept. The farmer looked as if he'd been smashed across the head with something hard, but was unhurt besides that. Link could see the blackness of night through the broken remains of the door behind the assailants, and realized that it must be past midnight. Each of the four attackers wore a set of spiked helmets and brandished huge wooden clubs, and Link could hear the sounds of at least two more men outside. _They must be bandits_, Link thought as he sprung into action.

Yelling to draw their attention away from the farmer's family, Link leapt forward, catching the first man by surprise and mortally slicing him across the side. He fell to the ground with a squeal. Without wasting any time, Link jumped over his body and stabbed the next bandit through the heart as the hapless man spun toward the sound.

As Link slid his blade out of its victim's chest, one of the two remaining men turned and tried to make a run for the door. Without a sound, Link hurled the Master Sword through the air, catching the bandit squarely between the shoulder blades.

Now weaponless, Link turned to face the last of the attackers. The farmer's wife had stopped screaming, and Link could see the family huddled together out of the corner of his eye. Without thinking he sidestepped in front of them, making sure to keep himself between them and last brigand. A few tense second passed before the man squealed loudly and leapt forward. Link lunged up to meet him, spinning under his club and kicking his legs out from under him. As the man fell, Link used his momentum to carry himself forward, falling on top of the bandit with his elbow and crushing his windpipe.

"Stay here!" Link yelled back at the family as he wrenched his sword free and jumped through the remains of the door. He could vaguely hear the sounds of the two bandits who had remained outside fleeing through the woods, and he knew that they would be back to trouble the family more unless they were hunted down now.

Link whistled once as he sprinted toward the fleeing men, hearing Tingle's satisfying response from the side of the house where he had been tethered. In just moments, the horse was galloping beside Link, its neck held low. Without breaking stride, Link vaulted into the saddle and urged the horse onward into the trees.

The bright moon aided Link's pursuit, and he was soon riding back toward the farmhouse, both his targets dispatched.

Link found the family had not moved at all by the time he returned.

"Is it—" the farmer began shakily, not able to finish his question.

"It's safe," Link replied. "I took care of the other two."

The relief was more than apparent on the entire family's faces.

"Penitia, take the kids into the kitchen," the farmer said, regaining his composure much quicker than Link expected. "And could ya' grab a few more lanterns while yer in there?"

His wife nodded and gathered the traumatized youngsters up in her arms. "C'mon," she said sweetly, hushing their tears. "It's alright now."

"This is the first time I've heard tell of trouble like this so close to the castle," the farmer said as his wife returned with the lanterns and started fussing over the wound on his head. "Usually brigands keep away from these parts."

"These weren't bandits," Link said quietly. Shocked at what had appeared under the lantern's light. "Bulblins."

"What?" the farmer exclaimed, shaking off his wife to stand next to Link. "That ain't possible! Bulblins haven't been seen nor heard of since the Gerudo war near a century ago."

Link nodded in agreement, but they couldn't ignore what was lying right in front of them. What Link had mistaken for spiked helmets were actually horns, and the light from the lantern seemed to shy away from the monster's dark green skin. Bluish-red blood was pooling around the bodies, and the stench was much more potent than it should have been so soon after death.

Bulblins were some of the most dangerous monsters in Hyrule. They weren't typically very strong individually, but they never traveled alone and were deadly when they fought as a group. But even more frightening was the knowledge that Bulblins couldn't function without some sort of leader. In the past, the appearance of Bulblins almost always foreshadowed some larger evil.

"We need to dump these bodies," Link said, breaking the silence. "Then I'll take first watch while you sleep. Even if there were more around they wouldn't bother you again, but it doesn't hurt to be careful."

"Yer no ordinary swordsman, are ya' boy?" the farmer said suddenly. "The way ya' fought back there, that was somethin' else."

Link was silent.

"Well, I know when to leave a matter be," the farmer continued after a moment, seeing Links discomfort. "But let me be the first to thank ya. There ain't no doubt we'd all be fixin' to meet the Goddesses if you hadn't come along." He clapped a hand on Link's shoulder. "If there's anything ya' need, just let us know."

The horizon was already beginning to brighten by the time they had disposed of the bodies, and before he knew it Link was getting ready to ride out.

"And yer sure there ain't anything else we can give ya'?" the farmer asked for the third time.

Link shook his head. "It's just two days to the castle." He patted the bulge of food in his saddlebag. "This'll be more than enough."

With a final wave, Link mounted Tingle and found his way back to the road. The rising sun shone down on him from the right as he rode, casting long shadows onto the wide path. It was still early enough that Link was alone on the road, but he knew that soon he would be surrounded by merchant trains and other travelers making their way to and from Hyrule Castle Town.

Hyrule Castle Town was…inaptly named. It was, in reality, an enormous port city miles wide with a bustling economy that centered around the shipping trade with different islands in the Great Sea. In fact, the castle town had the only major seaport for nearly a hundred miles, drawing in thousands of merchants looking to sell their goods overseas.

Link hated the city. Its fast paced lifestyle was too chaotic for his taste. He much preferred the countryside where he was able to roam for days without talking to another soul, where it was almost…peaceful.

He sighed as a he sighted a caravan traveling toward him on the road. Even this close to the castle town, things were too crowded.

The blazing sun had just reached its zenith as the Temple of Time came into sight. Its tall battlements and beautiful stained glass windows stood not twenty yards off the main road, and although most passerby didn't give it a second glance, Link seemed unwillingly drawn to the great oaken doors. He gazed up at the structure, amazed by how the sun could shine so beautifully around a building that had caused him so much pain and misery. Caught in a trance, he found himself leading Tingle toward the grandiose building. Light flooded the clearing, illuminating multicolored flowers carefully planted around the walls and intricate statues of the three Goddesses in the field surrounding the temple.

Link tethered Tingle to a nearby fence and approached the doors. _What am I doing?_ He hesitated, hands on the giant door. Frozen in place, he tried to get his thoughts together. _What am I looking for?_

With a grunt he heaved the doors open and walked inside.

Nothing had changed since he'd last walked the vast chamber that was the temple. His footsteps fell loudly on the stone floor, echoing around the hall. Link could remember making this same walk before, believing it to be his last in this world.

_Link's heart beat loudly in his chest as he entered the Temple of Time. It wasn't from exertion, the two lizard-men outside had been easily killed with a few well placed arrows, and it wasn't from fear, he had already accepted his fate, that death awaited him in this chamber; it was from something else, something stronger. He stopped just inside the door, assessing what lay before him. _

_In the center of the chamber stood Ganon, with Shadow Link close behind. They seemed to be waiting for him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a figure chained to one of the giant pillars that lined the hall. 'Malon,' he breathed, too quietly to be heard by anyone else. Resolve filled him. This was the cost of her freedom._

"_You're brave boy, I'll give you that, but you're a fool for coming here." Ganon's voice powerfully filled the chamber. "You can't possibly hope to defeat me without the Master Sword!"_

"_Who said anything about fighting you?" Link asked calmly. He felt odd inside, almost giddy, excited. This was the end, but he knew that what he was doing was right. This was his chance to be the hero everyone thought he was. Squaring his shoulders, he took several steps forward._

"_Link!" Malon screamed. Link forced himself to ignore her._

"_I'm here to turn myself in," he said._

_Malon began to scream at the same time that Ganon began to laugh. Tears threatened to pool in Link's eyes. He knew he was hurting her by ignoring her, but he couldn't afford to show any weakness._

"_I suppose that in return you expect me to release the girl?" Ganon asked, amusement tingeing his voice._

_Link shrugged. "With me dead you'll have no purpose for her." This was it, if Ganon refused his terms then all hope would be lost. But he would not give up. He would fight to his last breath. He would give everything to save her. Tense seconds passed._

"_Fine! I accept your terms!" Ganon roared. Relief flooded through Link as the chains around Malon disappeared._

_She called out to him again, making his heart cry out in agony; this would be the last time he ever saw her. Link couldn't help but look toward her as he walked._

"_I'm sorry Mal," was all he could say. _

_The walk to his death seemed too long._

_Yet not long enough._

Link shook himself out of his reverie with a cry of anguish. Clenching his eyes shut, he stumbled backward.

There was nothing here save pain and memories.

Spinning on his heel, he fled back through the doors of the temple, letting the midday sun bath him in warmth. Without a word he mounted Tingle and rode off in the direction of Hyrule Castle. He sat tall, Master Sword strapped to his back, green tunic flapping in the breeze, looking every bit the hero that he claimed to be. But his cheeks glistened in the sun.


	4. The Princess of Destiny

THE PRINCESS OF DESTINY

The sun was setting, casting a peaceful orange glow over the smooth waters of the Great Sea. Link sat on the edge of the pier, gazing out into the horizon. The Great Sea still managed to amaze him after all these years in Hyrule. There was so much water, more than his imagination could have held before seeing it for himself. Link had seen the fury of the sea as it roared against the coastline during a storm, but he had also seen serenity and peace on the smooth rolling waves. It was as if the sea were a living thing, its tides rising and ebbing with every breath, its mood reflected on the water's surface.

Link lost himself in the sound of the waves sloshing against the docks and the smell of the salty sea air whispering through the evening light.

He had arrived in Hyrule Castle Town the day before last. Without stopping, he had ridden right through the heart of the city and into the castle to meet with the princess. Zelda had met him in the throne room as usual, but he was no longer awed by the immense chamber or the intricate statue of the Goddesses that stood behind the throne, standing guard over the country's monarch. But even though she sat before such an immense sculpture, the Princess of Destiny still sat commandingly, seeming almost like a Goddess herself.

Link had not knelt. He did not even bow his head as all around him guards and servants fell the floor, prostrate, as Zelda rose to welcome him.

"Link, it is good you have traveled so swiftly," she begun, her words grating against Link's emotions. He didn't quite understand why, but her presence never failed to rile up anger and discomfort within him.

"I fear something terrible stands upon the threshold of Hyrule," Zelda continued.

"What do you want Zelda?" Link demanded, earning small gasps of shock from the guards and servants for his rudeness to their beloved monarch. "Don't speak to me in riddles; I don't have the patience for it."

Zelda was quiet for a moment, her soft blue eyes studying him.

"Come Link, let's walk," she said, surprising him. Without a word she descended the steps before her throne and strode past Link, giving him no choice but to follow. When her personal guard began to follow she waved them back. They obeyed, but seemed reluctant to leave their princess alone with the insolent stranger.

In silence, Zelda led Link to the castle palisades. The ocean stretched out before them, sparkling in the sun. Link could feel the waves pound against the palace walls far below, and he marveled at the unrelenting strength of the water.

"I thought that perhaps this conversation was one to be best had in private. It is not my wish that my fears be made public quite yet," Zelda finally said. Link turned away from the ocean to meet her gaze. The intensity of her stare made him cautious.

"What happened? I'm sure it's nothing that I can't handle," Link said, wondering what could have put Zelda on edge like she was.

"Surely you've seen the signs too," Zelda replied. "Link, evil is surging all around us."

Link's eyes hardened. "Bulblins…" he breathed, beginning to understand.

"Bulblins, Armos, Redeads…Hyrule is slowly being saturated with foes from our dark past," Zelda paused. "I fear there is a larger power at work here, a catalyst provoking the sudden surge of evil within our lands."

"Who?" Link asked.

"I cannot tell, and my magic has failed to reveal more. Whatever form this evil has taken, it possess sorcery that surpasses even my own."

Link stood in stunned silence. Zelda's magic had been granted to her by the Goddess Nayru; to have even greater power was…should have been…impossible.

"What—what does that mean?" Link asked slowly.

"It means that, until we ascertain the truth of the situation, Hyrule is in the hands of the enemy," Zelda replied somberly.

Link turned again to the ocean, taking a moment of silence to process all this new information. There was no doubt that Zelda was right in what she said, and Link thoroughly agreed that they needed information desperately. Did she intend for him to gather that information?

"Your message mentioned a mission across the Great Sea," Link said. "The answers lie there?"

"That is my sincere hope," Zelda replied. "I am sending you to the Mother and Child Isles. There are tales of a great fairy within the mountain on the northern isle; if you can find her, she should help us."

Link blinked in surprise. "A fairy?" he asked cynically, anger threatening to rise again within him. "Don't play games with me Princess."

Zelda smiled. "Of course, I forget that you hail from a very different land than our Hyrule. Our histories speak very clearly of the great fairies aiding Hyrule in times of need. They have appeared in many times in many forms, but they have always shown kindness toward those who walk in the light of the Goddesses."

"Alright…" Link said, trying to shake off his shock. "But even if I can find her, are you sure she'll be able to help? Is her magic that much greater than yours?"

"As you well know, my powers have been granted to me by the Goddess Nayru to protect the Triforce of Wisdom," Zelda said. "Using that power is similar to filling a cup of water from a river. I can only partake in as much power as fits within that cup. This is because I exist separate from the Goddesses, as does every Hylian.

"The fairies do not draw from the power of the Goddesses as I do. They are not beings of flesh, but of spirit, and as such they need no cup. They are, in fact, part of the water itself, connected intimately to the Goddesses in ways we cannot imagine." She paused for a moment, a quizzical look on her face. "I suppose, in our analogy, if the power of the Goddesses is the river from which I fill my cup, the fairies could be described most accurately as puddles where the power of the Goddesses has overflowed and collected."

"Which means what?" Link prompted. "That they have the powers of the Goddesses? Then why don't they intervene and destroy this evil for us?"

Zelda shook her head. "They are connected to the Goddesses, but they are not the same. They can harness no more power than that which they are made of, and once that power disappears, so do they. Like a puddle that dries up, they will cease to exist. However," Zelda continued. "They do possess some of the Goddesses' sight, and will be able to tell us much of this new evil."

Link just nodded; as much as he couldn't stand the woman, Zelda's judgment was always sound. "When do I leave?"

"I have kept a ship in the harbor ready. The captain assures me that he can sail at a few days' notice, so you have until then to be ready."

There it was, Link noticed with irritation, the condescending tone he'd learned to despise Hyrule's monarch.

"Fine," Link said irately. He'd left without another word, feeling rather childish for storming off but relieved to be away from the object of his inexplicable anger.

That had been two days ago. Tomorrow he would depart on yet another of Zelda's missions. He felt like yelling out into the ocean before him; he would yell out his grief, he would yell out his frustration, he would yell out his guilt, but he knew it would not change anything. It would not bring her back.

As he sat upon the pier, staring into the dying sun, a swell of bright, spotless water rose up beneath him, sprinkling his feet with its pure breath. With a sigh, Link rose and began the long walk back to the inn; he had one more night to drink away. One more night to forget.

The morning came both slowly, and painfully. The morning's rays tore down violently through the curtain's gap, burrowing into Link's eyes until his head seemed to be filled with the glare, pounding at the intrusion. He tried rolling over, a futile retreat from the assault, but his skull was already full of the light, throbbing from sunlit congestion.

"Damn all liquor," he muttered, quietly lest he aggravate an already tender headache. Shading his eyes, Link chanced a quick glance outside, immediately withdrawing as if burnt. The sun was climbing high into the sky. _I'm already late_, he noted indifferently, pulling on the loose brown breeches he wore underneath his tunic. Getting dressed was a sluggish affair, and eating breakfast no less so. Indeed, noon had come and gone by the time he departed from the inn and worked his way toward the docks.

The captain of the ship was waiting for him as he strolled up. Waiting rather impatiently, though he tried not to show it.

The ship itself wasn't very large for being an ocean-bound vessel, but Link knew that the tradeoff meant it would be faster. Unfortunately that also meant it would sway more in the rougher waters.

Link eyed the ship as he climbed aboard; he'd never seen another of its like. It wasn't very large; in fact it was hardly bigger than most river craft, but it was much skinnier, allowing it to slice right through the water. The three masts were several times taller than usual too, leading Link to assume that the keel of the vessel submerged deep underwater to provide a counterweight. Squinting into the clouds, Link thought he could see someone in the crow's nest near the top of the mainmast, but it was too high up to be sure.

Following the captain onto the main deck, Link asked about the canon capacity of the lower levels.

"Canon?" the older man exclaimed, guffawing loudly as if at a joke. "On Zephos? Lad, Zephos here's the speediest craft on the Great Sea. Puttin' canon on her'd be like puttin' shoes on a bird, slows her down and don't do much good. There ain't no need for a fight when there ain't no ship can catch us."

"However fast she is, she can't outrun a cannonball," Link parried, annoyed at this new turn of events. "This is ridiculous."

"Lemme tell you about the beauty you're gonna be sailin' upon," the captain replied, the hint of a smirk on his face. "Zephos ain't your typical sloop. She's a new breed of ship, only one of her kind. We used a special type of wood, near sight from being charmed if truth be told, lighter than air and harder than oak. With the extra sheets she'll hit forty knots on a good day."

_Forty knots? _Link wisely kept his skepticism to himself. The fastest sloop he'd heard of could hit fourteen knots. Forty wasn't just unheard of, it was impossible. The old man must think it funny to play games with him.

The captain began yelling out to stow the anchor and set sail. Link sauntered over to the railing, sullen, and gazed out at the city as the crew swarmed around him busily.

Within minutes they were ready to embark. As the last few mooring lines were tossed to the dockman upon the pier, a figure burst out from behind one of the dockside warehouses, a satchel over her shoulder and jet black hair streaming behind her. She vaulted onto the deck just as several of the crewmen began pushing off.

She set her satchel down confidently, ignoring the dumbfounded looks from the sailors around her. The captain bustled over to where she stood, his eyebrows drawn with irritation.

Link couldn't believe what he was seeing. The jet black hair, the dirty overlarge shirt and trousers. Standing before him was the strange girl with the harp from the town outside Outset.

"Lookit here girl, this ain't no passenger yawl—" the captain began, already motioning the helmsman to guide them back to the docks.

"I have plenty of coin to pay for passage, and you'll find my harp useful when your men begin to feel the droll of the sea." She spoke briskly and without pause, giving the captain no time to interject. Without hesitation she tossed him a small bag of rupees. "I'll take passage as far as he's going." She tossed her head in Link's direction, causing her hair to whip around.

The captain was silent for a moment.

"You can't be serious!" Link exclaimed, not sure if he was yelling at the girl or the captain.

"I was told ta take ya' to the Mother and Child Isles as quick as Zephos'd let me," the captain pronounced slowly, weighing the bag of rupees in his hand. "The princess never said nothin' 'bout not takin' on any extra folk."

The girl silently mouthed 'the princess,' excitement on her face.

Link swore loudly.

The captain chuckled. "'Sides, every boat runs a sight smoother with a musician on board. She might even save us a day or so."

The girl smirked. She had won. As the captain strode away, rupees in hand, she walked over to where Link was standing. He tried to ignore her.

"I'm glad he accepted my offer, that was all the money I had," she said with something akin to a giggle. "Men are so predictable."

Link strode back to the railing, but she followed closely, like a cat stalking an interesting piece of yarn. Link pretended she wasn't there.

"Aren't you curious to know how I followed you?" she asked after he didn't say anything. Her voice was soft, not raspy but airy, bringing to mind the image of a sweet summer breeze, or moonbeams blanketing a field of daffodils.

Link didn't answer.

"Fine," she said with a shrug, beginning to walk away. "You'll ask later though Swordsman."

Link considered throwing her overboard.

"My name's Link," he said. "Not Swordsman."

She smirked rather impishly.

"And my name is Kin," she responded sweetly. "Bard of the Ryū."


	5. An Unwelcome Companion

Wow, sorry it's been so long since my last update guys! Lol college. I definitely don't have the free time I expected, and when I do have some, MORE writing just doesn't sound fun. Joys of an English Major I guess. Anyway, I'm back!

* * *

AN UNWELCOME COMPANION

Days at sea sloshed together until days were minutes, days were weeks, and time had no meaning. Link quickly came to realize that the captain had not been lying about the speed of the ship, Zephos. It cut through the water like a sword; flying across the sea with unbelievable speed, it often left even the birds behind. One more than one occasion, Link overheard the captain remarking about the incredibly favorable wind they were having, and how at this rate they were going to get there in half the time. Through it all though, one thing remained trapped in the forefront of Link's mind.

The girl, Kin, had made true to her promise with the captain. Every day she would spend the hottest hours sitting against the main mast, playing songs of courage on her harp to strengthen the mariners lest they succumb to the disheartening heat that plagued the seas.

What bothered Link most was that she hadn't spoken a word to him since their first encounter. _She follows me all the way from Outset, uses her remaining money to get passage on the ship I'm taking, then ignores me? _Link just couldn't figure her out, and every passing day made both his agitation and his curiosity grow. And he had a sinking feeling that she knew it.

Against his better judgment, sometimes Link would sit on the quarter deck, where Kin couldn't see him, and listen to her play. He told himself that he wanted to understand more about this strange new girl, but Link knew it was a lie. When they had met before, she had somehow used her music to revive some of his most cherished memories, and he would give anything to feel that again.

Besides coming out to listen to Kin, Link mostly kept below deck. Secluding himself in his cabin, he would lay on his cot for hours, just staring at the strong wooden beams that crisscrossed above him and feeling the sway of the ship as it sliced through the large ocean swells. He never really thought about anything; half asleep, it was like he was in a trance.

Every night he would again emerge, but only for as long as it took him to visit the galley, eat a meal alone, and return to his quarters. Link knew he was the subject of many whispers among the crew, but that did not bother him. He just wanted, as always, to be left alone. In fact, the solidarity of the trip suited him rather well. In his opinion, the only thing missing was some brandy.

Several weeks passed in monotony. The songs that Kin played began following Link back to his bed, repeating over and over again in his mind. He thought he noticed a slight change in the tone of her songs. The earlier pieces had all been marches; upbeat ditties to keep the workers' feet light. Now the songs had a more grandiose feel to them. Like she wasn't playing for the sailors anymore, but for someone else. Herself maybe? Or…

Link leaned back against the railing that fenced in the quarterdeck and let his eyes drift up into the thrilling blue sky. It wasn't worth thinking about. What did it matter who she was singing to? Link closed his eyes for a moment, letting the cool breeze kiss his sweaty cheeks and ruffle his dirty blonde hair. The hull of Zephos sighed heavily as it breached another ocean swell. The water sloshed up against the dark wood playfully. The crewmen laughed as they tightened the rigging. The flag, bearing the royal seal, flapped lazily in the breeze. Link slowly began to fall asleep, lulled by the charm of the sea. From the main deck, Kin continued to sing. Except, now she wasn't singing. She was just speaking; her harp singing in the background. Some of her words drifted up to Link as he nodded off.

"At the trumpet's call, a hero was born." Her next few words were drowned out by a wave slapping at the hull. Link thought the verse sounded strangely familiar.

"Never-ending clash of sword will, by hero and demon be made," she continued. "Of bloodlust and power will one destroy…"

Link sat up, his heart skipping a beat as he snapped back into consciousness. _I've heard this before!_ He strained his ears trying to hear more, but he couldn't catch anything over the sounds of the ship.

He hesitated for a second, cursed loudly, then descended the ladder to the main deck where Kin was sitting against the main mast.

"Play that last one again," Link said, already regretting his decision to approach her.

A playful smile appeared on Kin's face, teasing him. She raised her eyebrows dramatically and gave him a long look.

Link huffed, annoyed. "Please?"

She giggled, her voice pleasantly riding on the wind. Humming a little as she again began to stroke her harp, she began the poem anew.

"Goddesses three made the world: Nayru, Farore , Din

Their depart marked beginnings pure and divine.

Beauty absent, a power was sought for

And Hyrule's last chapter was nigh.

At the trumpets call, a hero was born

That battle did do to the demon

At the bid of the princess did he arise

And subdue evil for the sake of freedom

Thus eternity's cycle was born

And ceaseless will wheel turn

The demon will not be eradicated

And princess not be put in ruin

Never-ending clash of sword will

By hero and demon be made

Of bloodlust and power will one destroy

Of virtue the other will save

The cycle never ceasing,

The land safe and populace prosperous

But imbalance terrible originate

And scales be turned by shadow

Old will topple, the new shall be found

The demon's wrath shall he witness

Youth still will he take the journey

The path he is set by the princess

Fraternity dear will be threatened

To incite his ceaseless search

Hero no longer with blade by his side

May ageless quest give him truth

Hero's might will be tested,

Ordeal tragic will he face

Power worthy, Wisdom plenty,

Courage proven too late

Hero that is no hero will he be

Nameless, faceless, lost

Surrender is his last resort

Prevented by love is his cost

Of sorrow will he be reborn,

Of despair will he prevail

The demon slain, the cycle restored

His loss will mark his tale.

O' rejoice! Nation unawares!

O' lament! Hero of Time!

May he find the melodious tune!

May he find the sands of time!"

As she played, Kin allowed her eyes to close, letting the music of the poem take over. Her fingers flew across the harp strings, barely brushing some while leaving others to flutter happily for a few moments before quieting them once more. The music stretched behind the poem as she spoke, telling a story of might and woe that no mere words could ever fully express. Her voice gained power as the poem came to a close, as if she could _see_ the actual events transpire.

Link drew into himself, darkness clouding his vision as the words reawakened sadness within him. He knew the poem, though he had only heard it once and not in its entirety. It was the Prophecy of Ages. A prophecy that he had already fulfilled. Link was quiet for a long time, and Kin made no attempt at conversation. The boat swayed slightly, creaking.

"Where did you learn that?" Link finally asked, shoving his sorrow away and returning his gaze to Kin.

She shrugged, and a smirk again found its place on her face. "A bard picks up some things on the road," she said as if it were of no importance. "Even some things that most people don't think exist anymore." Link opened his mouth to make her explain, but she cut him off. "The better question is, where did _you_ learn it?"

"I—" Link began, not knowing what to say.

"Of course, it's not much of a question if I already know the answer," Kin continued in a sing-song voice. Link almost cringed. Had his pain been so obvious as he was listening to her recite the prophecy? Kin smiled, enjoying her moment of watching Link squirm. "The only people, besides myself, that are familiar with the Prophecy of Ages are high-ups in the castle. Which means…" she paused for effect. Link was really annoyed now. Now that she'd figured out he was the Hero of Time, there was no doubt that she would redouble her efforts to give him a headache. "Which means," she continued. "You're a member of the royal guard, maybe even a captain!"

Link almost laughed. She had no idea who he was! Kin mistook his silence for assent.

"I thought you were!" she exclaimed joyously. "Of course it helped that the captain here mentioned the princess when I boarded. Then later I got to thinking, who else would Princess Zelda trust to send on a mission across the Great Sea but one of the royal guard? And with how the captain almost scraped his nose on the deck licking your boots, you _must_ be pretty important!" She smiled, obviously very pleased with herself.

Link decided to change the subject before he gave anything away.

"So, how _did_ you follow me all the way here?"

Kin, annoying smirk still on her face, reached into a pocket and pulled out a crumpled up piece of parchment caked with dirt. She tossed it at Link. Catching it, he opened it up to reveal the message Zelda had sent asking him to return to the castle.

"I found that by the side of the road on my way out of town," she said. "I decided it must be yours since there certainly wasn't anyone else in that backwater village with any connections to the castle."

Link scowled. "And you used it to follow me. Why?"

"Because you're interesting," she said, laughing.

When he didn't break his stony stare to respond, she sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes.

"I'm not just a musician you know," she said. "I'm a bard, a storyteller of sorts." She waited for Link to say something, but he remained silent. Unperturbed, she continued, "In the past, bards were highly respected for composing epics that told the tales of great men. Commoners back then didn't have access to the royal libraries, so songs were one of the only ways for them to learn about their histories." She drew her eyebrows together in irritation. "But the so called 'bards' of today are feeble shadows of their impressive namesakes."

"So what? You're running away?"

Jumping up, Kin wrapped her fingers around a chunk of Link's tunic and dragged him across the deck to the ship's railing. Before them, the sea flew by in streaks of blue and green.

"Isn't it marvelous?" she asked. Ignoring Link, she took a moment to lean over the railing and try to catch some water sprayed up by the ship. The sun was slowly falling from its high perch in the sky, occasionally flashing off a wave or a swell in the distance. Overhead, a small group of birds soared. Link found his annoyance at this girl slowly transforming into curiosity. She seemed so out of place out here, like a cherry blossom tree hidden in a grove of birches.

"I'm going to compose an epic like the bards of old and show those old geezers what our craft is meant to be," she continued suddenly. As she turned again to Link, a mischievous smile lit up her face. "And _you're_ going to help."

Link was left dumbstruck as Kin skipped away with a cheerful song on her lips.

After that, Link stopped coming outside to listen to Kin play. He spent days in his cabin, telling himself that he was avoiding her because he wanted to be left alone, but the truth was that their encounter had unsettled him. Not because she had admitted that she was following him to write some stupid song, but because he hadn't minded as much as he should have. _Why can't everyone just leave me alone?_ he shouted silently. He punched the air above him as he laid on his cot. He didn't want people following him, especially when they seemed so hell-bent on making him like them. He didn't want any friends! Deep down, he heard a part of himself whisper, _my friends get hurt._

He furiously crushed the thought as soon as he had it.

In a sudden rage, he swung himself out of bed. Enough was enough. Striding to the door, Link began working his way to the deck. He was going to end this ridiculous façade. Sunlight blinded him as he burst onto the main deck. Shading his eyes, he squinted through the glare, searching for Kin. She was on the quarterdeck near the wheel, talking to the captain. Link didn't quite stomp up the ladder to the upper deck, but he was close.

"Hey!" he began yelling as soon as he was close enough. "You don't honestly think—"

"Swordsman!" Kin interrupted, a huge smile breaking upon her face. "I was worried you were sick or something, spending so much time below deck!" Beside her the captain laughed heartily at her excitement.

Link eyed her suspiciously, but he hadn't heard any mockery in her words. Had she actually been worried?

"It's good that you're here swordsman," she continued with barely time for a breath. "The captain's being irritatingly closemouthed as to why we're sailing to the Mother and Child Isles." Turning to the man, she puffed out her cheeks in a mock pout. "C'mon handsome, don't you trust me?"

The man leaned over to Link, eyebrows drawn in comically. "Best be careful with this one sir," he whispered loudly enough for Kin to hear, laughter in his voice. "She's been at me like this fer over an hour. Were I a lesser man I'da already fallin' fer her tricks." On his other side Kin gasped, feigning hurt. The captain broke out into another burst of laughter.

"Swordsman, _you'll_ tell me what's going on, won't you?" Kin said, pretending to brush away the captain with her hand. "You're not _old_ and _callous_ like the captain here."

Link blinked, still trying to situate himself. He felt so out of place amidst all the fun and laughter, he completely forgot why he was there in the first place.

"Stay strong my lad," the captain said, his gut bouncing as he continued to chuckle.

"It's confidential," Link finally said.

Kin threw her hands into the air with a loud cry of frustration. But before she could say anything else, a bell began to sound from the crow's nest above them.

"Land's been sighted!" the captain yelled out excitedly. Striding over to the railing, Link leaned out over the water, squinting into the distance. He could barely make out a dark speck in the distance that disappeared and reappeared as the ocean swells rose and fell.

"I see it!" Kin exclaimed from behind him. "Is it the Isles?" she asked the captain.

"It ought ta' be," he said. "Though wit' this crazed tailwind we been havin' we're here a good week sooner than I'd thought."

The sun was setting by the time Zephos stowed sail and dropped anchor a ways out from the smaller of the two islands. Link gazed out at the islands from the forecastle as the crew swarmed over the rigging and made the rowboats ready to carry them all ashore. The topography of the islands fascinated him. The smaller of the two landmasses, Child Isle, was little more than a small hill bulging out from the water. From the ship, Link could easily see the far shore, and the dozen or so palm trees growing out of the sand effectively hid the majority of the island from above. The other island though, was not so quaint. Mother Isle was massive. Stretching into the sky, it looked like the top half of a volcano bursting out of the ocean. The entire island was surrounded by a steep cliff face, almost black, with dangerous looking crags and sharp rocks protruding out in every direction. From where he stood on the ship, Link could just barely make out what he thought might be a path up the cliff, but the dimming light made it hard to be sure.

"We're going up _that_?" Kin exclaimed from behind Link, making him start in surprise.

Link turned to face her, amazed by her audacity. "No, _I'm_ going up that. _You're_ going to stay down here with the captain, twiddling your thumbs and wishing you hadn't followed me across the entire world for nothing." Kin just smiled and silently made her way to the rowboats. After a moment Link followed, wondering what she was thinking. "Women," he muttered under his breath.

It took three trips to get the men ashore. Only two unlucky souls remained onboard to stand watch, everyone else quickly got to starting a fire, making some sort of soup, and setting up the one barrel of mead they were able to stow away.

That night roars of vivacious laughter echoed across the Great Sea. Sailors finally able to rest after weeks at sea danced and sang and got drunk. It was quite the spectacle, and Kin especially seemed entranced by the crew's activities.

Link helped himself to the mead, but distanced himself from the merrymaking besides that. Finding a good place to sit down on the other side of the small isle, Link tried his best to ignore the sounds of the crew while savoring his alcohol. Before him loomed the intimidating Mother Isle. Tomorrow morning he'd have to climb the steep, threatening walls that protected the great fairy. He groaned just imagining how sore he would be afterward.

He could hear Kin make her way through the crunchy sand long before she actually appeared.

"I thought you might be hungry," she said, sitting beside him and proffering a bowl of soup. Link thanked her with a grunt, more than a little taken aback at her kindness.

"You aren't coming with tomorrow," Link said. He was suddenly suspicious of the soup, as if by eating it he was agreeing to something. Kin giggled, but didn't respond, unnerving Link even more with her silence.

Neither of them spoke while he ate, but the respite ended as soon as he nestled the empty bowl into the sand beside him.

"The crew don't think very much of you, you know," Kin said softly. Link didn't know what she was leading into, but he already knew the men disliked him. That much was obvious.

"Some say you think too much of yourself. Others say you're hostile." She paused for a second. "But that's not true is it?"

Link remained silent. If she was going to try and pry into his past, all she was going to find was disappointment.

"Who was she?"

Link blanched. His chest heaved once as he tried to force down the pain she had resuscitated within him.

"I know better than anyone the effect that my music will have on people. When I first met you I played two songs."

Even though he was drunk at the time, Link still vividly remembered that night, and the song…

"It was a love ballad," she continued. "I've seen that song make men do things they'd never imagined. Forbidden romance. Flash weddings." Kin paused. "But you…those weren't tears of joy."

The two of them sat silently for a long time. Link could feel the question still hanging in the air; it was tearing at his heart, forcing him to remember.

"Her name was Malon." Link could hardly believe the words as he spoke them. He's never shared his past before, with anyone. It was his pain. They were his memories and no one else had a right to them. But this girl…something about her drew Link in, made him want to open up and tell the stories he'd tried so hard to forget about the girl he'd tried so hard to remember.

"We grew up together," he continued after a moment. It was getting easier and easier to form the words, but pain still kept some things at bay. He shut his eyes. "We were best friends, always getting into trouble, always together. It was probably inevitable what happened." Link paused again, composing himself. He could almost hear her laughter as they sat on the edge of their dock, watching the sunset. "We barely had time to understand that we had fallen in love before…before she died."

Kin listened without a word. She didn't interrupt or try to comfort him, for which Link was grateful. It was easier to just talk.

"Something happened, something evil, and I was called upon to fight for my home." Link took a deep breath, eyes still closed. "I failed." No more laughter drifted across the island from the crew. They must have finally fallen asleep. "But when it came time for me to face my failure, she appeared and…" Cold wind whistled past the two of them, making Kin shiver.

"I was too late in finding my courage, and for that she died. Now I have to bear the burden of knowing I could have saved her, but didn't." Pain seared through Link's voice. "I killed her."

It took Link a moment to regain control of his emotions. Opening his eyes, he looked at Kin, not sure what sort of reaction to expect.

She was just sitting on the sand, gazing out into the night sky. _She must think I'm a monster_, he thought, beginning to reconstruct the walls that had, for so long, kept the truth locked deep inside of him. He couldn't blame her; he agreed with her. _What did I expect? _he scolded himself. As he leaned forward to push himself to his feet though, the full moon suddenly illuminated her face.

Tears were streaming down her cheeks, sparkling in the moonlight as they fell from her chin onto her lap. Stunned, Link slowly sat back, and for hours they stayed like that. Not saying a word. Sharing his pain.


	6. Darkness Unveiled

DARKNESS UNVEILED

The crew, though groggy from the previous night's excitement, rose early and begun making preparations for the return voyage to Castle Town. Meanwhile, Link made himself ready for his lone expedition up the face of Mother Isle. He had brought with to the island all the supplies needed for the journey: the Master sword, climbing gear, an inordinate amount of rope, his thickest leather boots, and a small amount of food. As he gathered up his things into his pack, he realized that Kin was nowhere to be found. Sighing, he approached the captain and requested some crew row him to Mother Isle.

"I'll get two o' me boys to take ya' out," the captain replied, lounging on the beach while the crew loaded up the empty barrel of mead left over from the night before. "How long ya' imagine this venture ought take?"

Link looked up at the imposing cliff face and sighed. "A good few hours to climb and find what I'm looking for. The climb down will take even longer." Link thought for a moment. "Send the men to fetch me as the sun begins to set. If I'm not yet back, send them again at daybreak."

The captain nodded in acquiescence and whistled for two of the crew to row Link ashore. As they began to push the rowboat out into the surf, Link turned again to the captain. "Do you know where Kin's disappeared to?" He asked, worried she might try to follow him.

The captain chuckled. "I'd say she's like to be wherever she wishes. There's no keepin' track of a gal like that. Rather reminds me of my first wife." With a hearty laugh the captain clapped Link on the shoulder. "Should I see her I'll lock 'er in the brig 'til you're back on board." Link almost smiled at the thought.

"Ready to go there sir," one of the men called out from the shore. With a nod to the captain, Link strode down the sand and leapt nimbly into the small craft as the two crewmembers, waist deep in the surf, held the boat steady. Casting off, the two experienced seamen quickly fell into a steady rhythm while Link sat in the bow of the dinghy, his things propped up against a pile of cloth, musing over the events to come.

Within an hour they were nearing the rocky beach of Mother Isle, and Link jumped out into the surf to help the crewmen haul the boat onto the shore. As the wooden craft scraped along the jagged stones, each of the sailors cringed.

"Captain's going to be madder than a drunk octorock when he sees the hull's been shredded," the taller man said. Telun, Link thought his name was.

"Aye, and we're going to be tarring the rigging as penance," the other replied, clearly unexcited at the prospect. Link kept his mouth shut as they settled the boat into place and trudged up the beach, but he felt a little regret that the two men might be punished for helping him. He silently resolved to speak with the captain about it after returning to the Zephos.

Link bid farewell to the unlucky duo and began searching for the path up the cliff he thought he had seen the night before. It was slow going; large jagged rocks—pieces broken off from the cliff above—were scattered along the beach, and several times Link was forced to swim around an insurmountable outcropping that lay across his path. With all this, it was nearly midday before he found the entrance to the mountain path hidden behind a pile of dried brambles.

Waves of heat emitted by the sun-cooked mountain washed over Link as he begun to climb, causing sweat to pour out of his body. He quietly thanked his own foresight as he took another swig from the water skin dangling around his neck.

It was slow going; not only did Link feel a need to slow his climb so as to conserve energy and water, the path was uneven and narrow—sometimes less than two feet across. One misstep could send him tumbling to a gruesome death on the rocky beach nearly fifty feet below. He cringed imagining it and helped himself to another mouthful of water.

With a sigh, Link found a seat in the shadow of the mountain and dug out the small amount of food he had packed away in his bag. The cliff face still stretched several hundred feet into the sky above him; he hadn't expected the climb to take this long. At this rate he would be lucky to make it back to the beach in time to rendezvous with the captain's men in the morning, and in this heat he might kill himself should he try to hurry. He briefly considered waiting until nightfall to continue his climb, but Link knew that at night the temperature dropped below freezing and trying to hike such a dangerous trail in the dark was no far stretch from suicide.

Link finished off the last few bites of food and hoisted his pack over his shoulder, shrugging off his discomfort like an old coat. There was still a long ways to go.

The rest of the day passed slowly. Link's hands were beginning to blister from grasping onto hot rock, the muscles in his legs felt like they might give out at any moment, and it seemed like no matter how far the sun crawled toward the horizon, there was no shade to be had. Link shuffled sideways across another narrow ledge and noticed Zephos floating far below him, seeming no larger than a marble. His stomach muscles tightened involuntarily as a few pebbles fell away beneath his boot, the following clatter as they fell echoing into the late afternoon air. Pushing aside his vertigo, he continued until the path again widened.

Breathing heavily, Link pushed onward, determined to climb as far as possible in the remaining hours before the sun began to set. Only a half hour later, the path around the mountain reached its end. It veered right, turning into the heart of the mountain itself. Link stared into the cave mouth warily.

The sun had climbed low, and its dying light stretched deep into the tunnel, dimly illuminating the charred remains of a torch hanging upon the smooth cave wall. Link dug out his flint and steel and, pulling the torch from its socket, set it alight. Shrugging his pack onto the ground, he entered the cave.

The temperature dropped almost immediately. Dry, stale air, undisturbed for hundreds of years, was stirred up as Link walked. Small pebbles littered the uneven floor, and whenever his boot brushed up against one, it would skitter away along the floor noisily like a spider caught in the torchlight. Within minutes, the path began sloping downward into the depths of Mother Isle. As he walked, he could hear the eerie, uneven echoes of his own footsteps behind him, tempting him to turn and face some impossible tail. In the darkness, Link found it difficult to gauge the passage of time, but he thought the sun have nearly set by the time the passage leveled out again.

Suddenly the walls, as they flickered in the torchlight, disappeared as Link entered into a cavern—a cavern so large the torchlight could find neither walls nor ceiling. He had to stifle the unsettling feeling that the room went on forever. Strangely, Link thought he could make out a soft hum, like that of a hummingbird's wings.

Taken my impulse, Link put out the torch. The darkness that greeted him was absolute, as was the silence that so contrasted with the hiss of the torch. For a moment, Link forgot to breathe.

Just as he was about to reignite the torch, something strange in the darkness made him pause. Slowly, almost so slowly that Link had not noticed, a soft glow began to emanate from the far side of the vast cavern. A shallow pool of water—so still it looked like a mirror—was the source of the olive-green light.

Approaching the pool, Link was so struck by its beauty that he found himself at the water's edge in what seemed like no time at all. Instinctively, he spoke his name out into the stillness. "I am Link, the Hero of Time"—there was a sudden itching in his heard, like a memory trying to resurface, and his tongue continued of its own accord—"and the Waker of Winds." _Waker of Winds? Where the hell did that come from?_

Immediately, the pool began to glow with increased vigor. Link's words echoed off the walls, vibrating through the pool and rippling across the surface. Even after the sound of Link's voice died out, however, the ripples continued to appear, spreading outward slowly from the center of the pool. The glow intensified, pulsing out in waves of golden-green. The center of the pool bulged upward, forming into the shape of a young girl rising out of the water. The mirrored sheen of the water did not fall away from her body as she hovered above the pool, instead it clung to her like a film of pure silver glistening in the light of the pool.

"Link." Her satin voice flowed out like water from a spring. It was a woman's voice, but when she laughed, it was the giggle of a child. "Link, you have traveled a long way in your search for answers, have you not? I fear though, that you may leave here with still more questions to ponder, and less answers put to rest than you might have wished."

Unsure of how to respond, Link bowed. "Princess Zelda sent me in hopes that you might be able to unveil the new evil that plagues Hyrule."

The fairy giggled, her bright laughter chiming out among the cavern. "I might, but what use would that knowledge be if you do not see how to act upon it?"

Link pondered her words for a moment, but soon gave up. "What?"

"Malon is not yet lost to you, Link."

Time seemed to stop for a moment. Link's mind numbly tried to fumble through the fairy's words as his heart began preforming confused acrobatics in his chest. For some seconds, Link saw nothing of the world around him; his eyes were cast inward at a part of himself he thought to be long deceased.

"The paths to both her and Hyrule's salvations are one and the same for you, Hero of Time." Her words barely broke through Link's shocked silence.

Link was still reeling, not quite believing the fairy's impossible words.

"Ah," continued the fairy with another sunny giggle, "here is the first of our interruptions."

A sudden scrape of rock along the cavern floor, followed by a muffled thud behind Link made him jump and fumble for his sword. Still giggling, the fairy raised her arms, extending the light from the pool outward until it illuminated Kin, still cursing where she had tripped and fallen onto the cavern floor. Judging by the numerous scrapes along her hands and her knees, the journey down from the surface had been full of such tumbles.

She looked up at Link with an apologetic look on her face, but that was quickly replaced by awe as she pushed herself to her feet and approached the fairy's pool. Apparently affected in the same way as Link had been, she curtsied. "I am Kin."

"Well met Kin, daughter of the Rito and Bard of the Ryū," the fairy replied graciously. "I am Venus, Queen of the Fairies." As if prompted by her words, soft orbs of light began to float out of the mysterious pool at her feet. In the darkness of the cavern, Link found it difficult to look straight at these new arrivals, but several times he thought he could make out little wings fluttering above them.

_Fairies,_ Link thought, watching them float about lazily. _Tiny fairies_. Even as he gazed upon them though, some part of his mind was still floundering in confusion. _Malon's not dead? How is that possible? How did Kin get here? _Next to him, Kin's eyes were open wide in wonder, and Link had to admit, the scene before them was amazingly beautiful. The fairies seemed so…innocent—peaceful.

"Link," Venus again addressed him, "the answers all lie within the Sands of Time. You must follow that path until its end."

_The Sands of Time? _Link struggled to keep up. "Wait! We must know: what is this new evil in Hyrule?" Kin, never having been privy to the details of Link's mission, looked almost as confused as he felt.

For the first time since her appearance, the fairy queen's smile disappeared. Turning away from Link and Kin, she looked up sadly and said, "He is already here."

Immediately, the cavern began to shake. A loud rumbling filled the air, and the fairy queen's pool sloshed around as the mountain lurched violently from side to side. Beside Link, Kin was thrown to the floor. Rocks, shaken loose by the mountain's antics, began to fall from the distant ceiling above.

The earthquake reached a crescendo, then climaxed. Suddenly, dim light from the dying sunset flooded the chamber, momentarily blinding Link and Kin as the side of the mountain crumbled away into the Great Sea. The spasms died away, and through the settling dust floated a creature like nothing Link had ever seen.

It was a man. Or…it looked like a man, though the purple tint to both his skin and his long, wild hair suggested otherwise. He stood rather too tall for a Hylian as well, and his eyes—his eyes shone ruby red in the dying sunlight.

Link's sword flew to his hand in a blur as he carefully sidestepped in front of Kin.

"Venus," the man began in a warm voice that seemed at odds with the malicious aura that surrounded him. His dark cloak swirled about as he floated eerily above the rubble. "And the Hero of Time! What a pleasure it is to finally meet you in this age. I have been meaning to acquaint myself for some time now."

Link heard a small gasp from behind him.

After a moment—as if he were waiting for applause—the man continued. "I am Vaati"—he flared his cloak dramatically and bowed—"the Wind Mage."

Link momentarily felt a deep longing for some semblance of sanity in his life. "You are the one who has been causing the surge of evils in Hyrule." Link didn't bother phrasing it as a question. "Why?"

Vaati laughed warmly and spread his arms wide. "Why, to set the stage of course."

Link tightened his grip on the Master Sword. "Explain."

"I see we have dropped the pleasantries," Vaati noted with a theatrical grimace. "Very well, since you are so eager I shall tell you." He closed his eyes. "In an age long past, I obtained power beyond reckoning. I was nigh invincible—a god, you might say." Pausing, Vaati opened his eyes and affixed his cold stare upon Link. "It was one of your many predecessors who unscrupulously robbed me of my destiny. I was sealed away in the Four Sword—a hateful little device—for a millennia. Twice did I escape, and twice was the Hero of Time to stand in my way.

"My second defeat nearly cost me my life. Dispossessed of my power, I was thrown back into the land of the Picori—those self-righteous busybodies who created and upheld that infernal Four Sword.

"I spend many hundreds of years in hiding, mastering what little magic I could still harness." Vaati smiled warmly as it caressing a fond memory. "Then I systematically destroyed every last Picori, robbing the Four Sword of its power and inadvertently releasing Ganon from its prison."

A seething hiss escaped Link's lips. This man released Ganon?

"Ah," Vaati remarked. "I see my actions have caused you pain. Good." He smiled. "After destroying the Picori, I used my newfound magic to return to the land of men."

"Monster!" Kin cried out from behind Link.

"Perhaps," Vaati mused. "But that is the way of the world, is it not? For the strong to triumph over the weak." His red eyes bored into Link. "Are you not the same, Hero? Your victories too are gained through your great strength."

"I do not seek power," was Link's scornful reply.

"Well, I do." Vaati reached his right hand toward the fairy queen. "Did you know, Hero, that the fairies are simply manifestations of power that has trickled away from the Goddesses?"

Link's grip on his sword tightened even further. "Yes," he said.

"Impressive!" Vaati said with a laugh. "Did you also know that immense power can be tapped into and borrowed? Even the Hero of Time has been known to, in ages past, make use of fairy dust to heal wounds and replenish stamina."

Link was silent—cautious.

"Or," Vaati continued, "if you are strong enough, that power can be wrenched from them entirely."

Link tensed, expecting danger, but silent seconds passed without event.

Suddenly, Kin began to cry out, "No! You're killing them!"

Confused, Link hesitantly let his gaze fall from Vaati to the fairy pool. He gasped. One by one the small fairies floating around the pool were fading away, their brilliance growing dimmer and dimmer until it finally disappeared. Nothing was left behind; it was as if they were made of nothing but light. Within seconds, the pool stood empty except for Venus, and even her warm glow was beginning to fade.

Horrified, Link leapt forward, charging toward Vaati with a roar.

"Link, no." The fairy queen's calm voice made Link hesitate. "The Sands of Time"—her voice was growing faint as if she were speaking from further and further away—"you must unlock the Sands of Time." Her light was nearly gone, and her with it. "…the Sands of Time…" she called out softly one last time. Then she was gone, faded away into nothing.

Link stood in stunned silence. Some ways behind him, quiet tears poured down Kin's cheeks.

A warm laugh bubbled out of Vaati's chest. "Ah!" he exclaimed, stretching his arms wide. "What power!" At his words, the mountain again began to tremble, quickly growing even more violent than before. Rocks fell once more from the ceiling, smashing into gravel around Link and Kin and pelting them with debris.

Vaati floated backward through the side of the collapsing mountain. "I fear that even without the Four Sword, I cannot risk your survival," Vaati called out over the noise. "I will give your finals farewells to Princess Zelda, shall I?" With that, he disappeared.

Link roared unintelligibly out after him.

A sudden scream made him spin around. "Kin?" he yelled out. The rubble was everywhere; he couldn't see her. A stone collided with his shoulder, nearly knocking him to the ground, and he barely managed to dive away as a boulder the size of a car crashed into the ground beside him. "Kin!"

"Link!" The reply was faint.

"Kin! Augh!" he yelled out in pain as another stone struck his leg. He collapsed, disoriented by the constant shaking. Rock and dust were filling up the air around him. He could not see through the darkness. He could barely breath. Dirt, knocked loose from the quaking, pelted him as he lay there. They were being buried alive.

Suddenly, all was water. Link gasped as the icy seawater rushed over him, inhaling liquid. His lungs cried out in pain. He flailed violently.

Then: darkness.


	7. The Last Fairy

Is...is anyone out there? Haha, I doubt it. It's been what, almost a year since I last uploaded a chapter? Sorry about that. College.

* * *

THE LAST FAIRY

"Hey!"

Nausea. Gut-wrenching spasms. Pain in his shoulder. Pain in his leg. Hovering on the edge of consciousness, Link threw up seawater.

"Hey!"

Link's eyes flew open as something hit him in the nose. Pain immediately followed as the noonday sun assaulted his throbbing head. He groaned, squinting confusedly through the brightness.

"Yay! You're not dead!" The voice again. Something bright zipped past Link's face, causing ripples of agony to resonate between his temples. Moaning, he tried locking onto the source of the voice.

"Where are you?" he said, squinting around. He found himself on a rocky beach encroached upon by a dense inland forest. A gust of ocean-wind stung a multitude of cuts and scrapes that covered Link's face and arms as the waning tide licked at his wet boots. Every movement ripped scabs that had glued his tunic to his back, and soon Link could feel the blood flowing fresh down his sides.

"Right here!" A small wisp of cloud danced before the sun, for just a moment giving Link's eyes the respite needed to open all the way. He inhaled sharply in surprise as the bright light again fluttered in front of him.

"You're a fairy!" Link said incredulously.

"Yup!" she replied brightly. "You should call me Navi! It means 'companion' in the old language."

_A fairy?_ Link's head throbbed painfully. _But the fairies were all killed_...he closed his eyes as the events from the Mother Isle came rushing back to him.

"What happened? Where's Kin?" The questions came pouring out like water through a floodgate. "How did we get away?"

"I teleported us!" the fairy said, clearly proud of herself. "I used up almost all of my power, but I did it!"

"You…teleported me? Here?"

"Yup! Ah...sort of. I accidentally dropped you offshore a bit," she said bashfully, her blue light taking on a pink hue. "And ten feet under water," she added after a moment.

Link blinked. "What about Kin?" he asked, glancing up and down the beach; the bard was nowhere to be seen.

"No idea!" the fairy said cheerfully.

"What do you mean you have no idea?"

"I was focusing on you. I don't know where she appeared, but I think it should be close!" Navi said, unabashed.

"How close?" Link asked

He could have sworn the little fairy shrugged. "I dunno!" she sang excitedly.

Link groaned at the fairy's chipper attitude. After a moment, he heaved himself to his feet, wincing at the pain in his leg. In the sand next to him lay the Master Sword. _I suppose I was due for a bit of luck_, Link thought, returning the sword to the sheath upon his back.

"Well come on, we should probably go find her," Link said.

"Oh, an adventure! Yay!" Navi bounced through the air beside Link as he made his way up the beach to the dense tree line.

"Where are we?" Link asked, mostly to himself.

"Taura Island. I think. Maybe. Maybe not!" Navi mused jovially. "Who knows!" She giggled loudly.

Link groaned. Of all the places to send them, Taura Island would be the most dangerous. He just had to hope the annoying little fairy was wrong. Picking a direction at random, Link entered the forest. It instantly became darker, giving Link's eyes some much needed rest.

"This is great! Going on an adventure!" Link soon found that Navi tended to sing whilst talking when she became excited. "Oh, I'm like the fairies of legend: Tatl, Ciela, Neri!"

The names stirred something within Link. "Could you _possibly_ not talk so loud?" he finally burst out. "I have a splitting headache."

"Hehe, you're funny! I like you."

Muttering under his breath, Link decided they were far enough into the forest. Approaching the largest tree he could find, he looked up. The nearest branch dangled ten feet above him. Too high to jump for.

Sliding the Master Sword out of its sheath, Link stabbed it into the tree – flat edge of the blade facing upward. Navi watched with curiosity as Link backed up several feet, and then leapt forward. He landed with one foot upon the Master Sword, bending it far past the point where any normal sword would have shattered, then sprung upward, using the added momentum to reach the lowest branches. Link winced as he pulled himself onto a nook in the tree he thought could carry his weight – the tough bark had rubbed the skin on his palms raw.

"What are you doing?" Navi asked, floating up to where Link was seated.

"Climbing to the top," Link replied crossly. He closed his eyes, willing the fairy to go away. A moment passed.

"Why?"

Link felt like screaming. "To see whether there is a town or a port on this goddess-forsaken piece of dirt!"

"Oh! Why didn't you say so earlier? I'll go look!" Navi zipped skyward, clearly excited to be helping.

Link, both exasperated at the fairy's antics and relieved that he would not need to climb the rest of the tree, focused on getting back down to the ground. Just as his feet touched dirt—

"I found something!" Navi sang out, suddenly appearing next to Link's ear. He swatted her away.

"What?"

"A town! With LOTS of people!"

"Were there any ships?"

"Yes!"

Link sighed. "Was there a big windmill with a lighthouse on top?"

"Yes! Oh, this is a fun game!"

_Damn_, Link silently cursed. _It is Taura._ He thought for a moment, _I'd avoid it if I could, but chances are Kin will end up at the town if she's anywhere around here. Besides, we need a ship._

"Which direction?" he asked, wrenching the Master Sword out of the tree.

"This way!" Navi said, flying off into the forest.

Link followed her, steeling himself for a day that he was sure could not end well.

It was less than an hour before Link and Navi spied the outskirts of town.

"Remember Navi, be quiet. If you're seen, we're both dead." The little fairy nodded emphatically, shaking her whole body up and down in doing so. Link knew her silence could only last so long. "Stay here, and stay _hidden_. I'll go check things out and be right back."

Softly working his way from tree to tree, Link approached the first line of buildings separating the town from the forest. His leg ached as he slipped into the shadows behind a small, seemingly abandoned house. The loud bustle of a vivacious port town assaulted him almost immediately: merchants calling out their wares, the chime of rupees changing hands, the shouts of sailors searching for work. There was a violent edge to all he heard though. He noticed fights breaking out in several places, the peal of clashing blades was accompanied by angry shouting, women's voices peppered the noise as they seduced the seamen out of their money, and every so often porcelain would break as some drunken fool lost hold of his rum.

Gathering himself, Link chanced a quick glance at the town from his hiding place. The poorly maintained buildings had been put up in rows that circled around the center of town (it looked as though whenever a new structure was needed, a new swath of trees would be cut down around the edge to make room) which was marked as such by an open-air marketplace and a large windmill, topped by an inactive lighthouse.

The town center bustled with activity. Scores of rather large men sauntered from bar to bar (for the majority of the buildings were taverns), each carrying some sort of sword or hunting knife. Their clothes were worn and often patched in several places, and Link could see no few scars peeking out from behind loose canvas breeches. Amazingly, Link thought he saw one man hobble past with a piece of wood in place of his lower leg.

In the distance, Link spied a half-dozen ships moored in the harbor, each flying a black flag emblazoned with a horned shark known as the Gyorg.

"Pirates," Link muttered under his breath like a curse.

"Ooh, scary!" Navi said happily, peeking out from behind Link's shoulder.

Link jumped back in surprise, knocking over an empty milk pail as he did so. The metal bucket clanged noisily against the cobblestone.

"Uh-oh," Navi said, chipper as ever. Link shot her a scathing glare.

"Hey, you back there!" a man called out, drawn over by the loud sound.

_Shit_, Link thought. Thinking quickly, he tore off his green cap and threw it over Navi. "Be quiet!" he muttered at her under his breath.

"Filthy sneak, what are you doing back there? Making off with some loot what don't belong to you is it?" the man shouted angrily as he neared Link's hiding place.

Thinking quickly, Link shoved his cap back onto his head, feeling Navi grasp his long blonde hair. He tried to ignore the sound of the man's cutlass scraping free of its leather sheath. Hurriedly adopting a languid pose, Link slouched against the house. Grasping his hands in front of himself as if he were relieving a full bladder, he yelled out, "Can't a man have himself a moment to wet the ground in peace?" Link was careful to slur his words as if he were laden with too much brandy – an ailment he was perhaps too familiar with.

He waited until he heard the man's cutlass return to its sheath, then, with a suggestive pull at his belt, stumbled back from behind the house and toward the center of town – it would raise too many questions if he were to return to the forest now.

"Damn drunken fool," the man said as Link wobbled by, careful that Link not stumble into him.

Link adopted a dazed smile and continued his swaying gait until the man was well out of view.

_Well shit,_ Link thought, looking about himself with what he hoped was a dangerous expression. _At least I have my sword_; _hopefully that'll be enough to keep from being bothered until I can figure out what to do next._

Link glanced around himself again. Kin was nowhere in sight – not that he expected her to be. _I could try to rent a room at one of the inns, _Link thought, immediately realizing the futility of that prospect. He had not bothered carrying any money with him up Mother Isle, and so had none with him now with which to barter for a room. _And I can't beg for the money either; a display of weakness like that would be a death sentence in a place like this._

A sudden burst of noise from behind him made Link turn around. Through a small gap between buildings, he heard the familiar sound of swordplay followed by cheering. Curious, Link made his way over to the crowd. They were all gathered around an animal pen that was empty except for two men sparring within. At one end of the enclosure, a beady little man wearing a grey striped nightcap was calling out odds and collecting bets. As Link watched, one of the men within the makeshift arena made a brilliant parry, followed by a backward slash that disarmed his opponent. The crowd broke out into a mottled assortment of noise, both cheering and hissing, as the advantaged swordsman stepped forward and, without hesitation, clubbed the disarmed man across the head with the pommel of his blade, knocking him unconscious.

The victor, breathing heavily from the fight, collected a bag of rupees from the man with the grey hat and departed for one of the closer taverns. Meanwhile, two other men stepped forward and removed the fallen man from the ring, tossing him mercilessly into a corner.

Link eyed the money thoughtfully. He could really use some coin to barter for a room, and maybe even a ride off the island once he found Kin. _I'm confident that I can best whatever opponent they send my way,_ he thought, moving forward to volunteer for the next round.

"The rules are simple," the beady man told him as Link hopped the fence into the ring. "Win the fight, and I'll pay you forty rupees. Kill your opponent, and your winnings drop to twenty rupees on account of me having to clean up the body."

Link nodded. _Good, they don't expect me to kill. I refuse to shed blood without need, but I also can't afford to stand out more than I have to._

Across the pen, another man detracted himself from the crowd. He was large, Link granted, but he held his blade like a meat cleaver. _This should be easy_.

Link drew his sword, but as he began to circle the man, a sudden, sickening thought entered his mind. _Navi! _He slowly began to panic. _Shit, she's still in my hat!_ Link knew, without a doubt, that too much jostling around and the little fairy would reveal herself.

Casting his attention back to his opponent, Link wished he could speak with the fairy, but dared not risk it. He would just have to finish the fight quickly, and without moving more than was necessary. He cursed himself for forgetting such an important detail. _Well, this just got a lot more interesting_.

Reviewing his fighting style in his head, Link made a mental list of moves that he could still execute without much movement. Then, quickly thinking through his typical footwork, Link revised his style to better account for the handicap.

With a dangerous smile, Link planted his feet and locked his knees. His opponent continued to circle for a moment, then paused, confused at this new turn of events.

Slowly the man advanced, holding his sword out before him like a dowsing rod. Link remained as still as stone, sword ready. Suddenly, the man leapt forward, swinging his sword as he would a hammer. Link grimaced as he blocked the strike; since he could not dodge or deflect any attacks, his frame had to absorb the full force of the blow. Four more times Link was stuck, and soon his muscles began to cry out in rebellion. _I need to end this soon_.

Link smiled as he saw what he had been waiting for – a small crack had appeared on his opponent's blade. _Normal swords aren't meant for this sort of fighting,_ he thought smugly, knowing that the Master Sword would never chip or crack. _Nor normal people, _he added after a moment. His body was nearing its limit.

As his adversary prepared himself for another blow, Link adjusted his grip on his sword, and as the large man swung, Link called forth his remaining strength and swung back. The Master Sword found its mark. Slicing through the small crack, Link cleaved his opponent's sword in two, sending a large portion of the blade whistling through the air like a Frisbee. Link wasted no time watching. Continuing his swing, he leveled his sword at the larger man's head, at the last second turning his hand so as to strike the man with the flat of his blade. His opponent crumpled.

Link quickly returned the Master Sword to its sheath before he dropped it from exhaustion, and thereafter his arms hung limp at his sides. He ignored the blend of applause and jeering that surrounded him as he walked over to collect his prize.

"That was somethin', lad!" the beady-eyed man said excitedly. "Breakin' a blade in two...that's somethin' sure to be talked about!" Link shrugged, not trusting himself to speak. Transferring his winnings to his belt pouch, he quickly made his way over to the nearest inn and paid for a room, worried that Navi might reveal herself at any moment.

As soon as his door clicked shut behind him, he whipped of his hat.

"Yay! That was exciting!" Navi zipped out of the green cap and begun circling Link's head in delight.

Link sighed.

"I've never been in a sword fight before!" Navi continued before Link could say anything. "I hope we get to do it again!"

Link collapsed onto the cot, physically and mentally exhausted. "Shh..." He interrupted Navi as she continued to speak. "Keep an eye out the window for Kin." Link yawned. "Tonight we'll sneak out search the woods."

It wasn't until after midnight that Link woke. He and Navi scoured the forest for some sign of the young bard until the morning glow forced them back to their room. Link spent most of the day in the taverns – Navi comfortable in his hat – listening to the goings on of Taura. And drinking of course. The two adventurers repeated this pattern for three nights, thoroughly searching both the inland wood and the surrounding beach until, finally, Link was forced to admit defeat.

"If Kin were anywhere on this island, we would have found her by now," he exclaimed, frustrated, as the sun crested over the eastern horizon.

"No doubt!" Navi sang. Even after three days of searching without reward, she hadn't lost her cheerful demeanor, much to Link's chagrin.

"You don't have any idea where you sent her?" Link asked for what must have been the tenth time.

"Nope!"

Link mumbled under his breath for a moment, then sighed resignedly. "Well, wherever she is, she's just going to have to fend for herself. It's her own damn fault anyhow; she shouldn't have left the Zephos."

"Her own damn fault!" Navi intoned cheerfully.

Link continued to grumble. "Not _my_ responsibility," he muttered half-heartedly. _We're almost out of rupees too_, Link thought to himself. He didn't like the idea of trying to fight for more coin. If they were going to leave, it needed to be soon. _How though?_ he wondered. One thing he'd gathered during his days spent in the taverns was that none of the ships hosted passengers. The only people on board were either sailors, or slaves being taken out west for sale. Link wished he had spent some time upon the Zephos learning about the ship. As it was, even the most desperate of captains wouldn't hire him as a deckhand.

Lost in thought, Link made his way back toward town, making sure that Navi returned to her customary perch beneath his hat well before they came into sight of the buildings. Making his way straight for his favorite tavern, The Busty Maid, Link traded his last few rupees for a pint of mead. Settling down at a small table in the corner, he set his mind to the problem of escaping Taura Island.

A few hours later, Link found himself gazing wistfully into his empty flagon and wishing he had enough coin for another drink.

"Seas are getting dangerous as of late." The conversation drifted to Link from the table adjacent. Uninterested, Link tried to ignore the two weathered sailors.

"Aye. You heard mention of Gorling's ship? Torn to bits by giant octorocks if the tales be true," the other man replied, taking a swig of brandy. Link envied him his alcohol. "The size of houses they been said to be."

The first man shook his head. "What I would have once scorned as fancy now starts my knees trembling. Why, not two weeks past my chief mate swore to seeing a flock of seahats three leagues south of here."

"That aren't so rare a sight," the second man replied.

"Perhaps not alone, but my mate did swear to seeing upwards of two-score of them."

"That aren't possible," was the other's astonished reply. "Them flying bastards never flock more than four or five together at a time."

"You need not remind me. It's gotten so bad that many of the men refuse to sail without a half-dozen mercenary scum aboard. I've heard that be more and more common with most of the ships 'round these waters."

Link froze. Suddenly the pirate duo's conversation was becoming interesting. Glancing over, he gathered from the cut of their slops that the two men were simple deckhands. Both had cutlasses in easy reach. Link hoped that he wasn't misjudging their temperament.

"Oy," he called out, leaning over toward the men and adopting a sailor's accent. "I been hearing them same tales myself."

The two men eyed him distrustfully. Link quickly continued before they could decide the conversation was over. "Here 'tis for a truth. My lady be sitting in the harbor with stowed sail 'til our green-beaked captain find himself some mercenary laggards. I aren't seeing a need to share my pay with any more useless fools."

There was a moment of tense silence. "Aye, aren't that the truth!" one of the men suddenly said, punching his flagon into the air.

"You sailing with the Biri?" the other man asked. "I heard they been moored nigh a week searching for swordsmen."

_Score!_ Link almost smiled. "Aye, that be the one." With an uncharacteristic grunt, Link excused himself.

It took less than an hour to find the captain of the Bari – a sour old man by the name of Teas. Link couldn't help but think he looked a bit like a large beach ball; he wore a lively yellow and blue coat that strained to contain his huge figure. Unfortunately, he was also rather short, making him seem nearly as wide as he was tall.

"Oy, are you Captain Teas?" Link said as he approached the comical figure.

"I ain't got time for fools, and you look right the jester," the captain replied gruffly. "Find yerself a different man to bedevil; I ain't taking on any more deckhands."

"I'm no deckhand...sir," Link replied, barely managing to veil his contempt.

Teas eyed him thoughtfully. "A mercenary, eh?" He nodded to himself as if solving some great mystery. "Though you still look the fool."

"My appearance has no bearing on my swordsmanship," Link replied, annoyance seeping into his voice.

Teas snorted derisively. He gestured to a rather large man behind him who had thus far kept to the shadows.

Without warning, the man dashed forward, drawing his blade as he did so. Acting reflexively, Link spun under the man's swing. Drawing his sword as he spun, Link finished his maneuver behind his attacker, Master Sword leveled at the back of his neck.

Calmly, the man straightened and sheathed his sword.

"This be my chief mate, Rogir. Few can best him with a blade," Teas said, eyeing Link as he would a new toy. With a slight nod at Rogir, he strode away.

"Welcome to the Biri, fool."


	8. Aboard the Biri

Hey guys! I know it's been a while, but I'm still here! I've been spending the majority of my time writing a different novel (historical fiction/fantasy! Whaaaat?) that I'm hoping to send to an agency in the near future, but I'll finish Sands of Time too, don't you worry. In fact, I have this chapter, AND the next chapter done. I'm just going to space out when I publish them a bit. MWHAHAHAHA! ULTIMATE POWER!

* * *

ABOARD THE BIRI

Kin shivered in the predawn chill that pervaded her damp, wooden cell. Beneath her, the floor slowly bucked to and fro. She sat on the one splintery bench that doubled as both seat and bed, and she nibbled on the stale bread that was her breakfast.

Three days ago, she had been buried alive in the remains of Mother Isle. She was screaming for Link when she heard a _pop!_ and she suddenly appeared on the deck of a large, four-masted galleon. A galleon full of pirates.

After the initial excitement created by a half-dead bard materializing aboard their ship, the pirates had locked Kin in the brig until the captain could decide what best to do with her. The first night, she had struggled not to panic – women at sea were rare, and she'd heard horrible stories about ladies being captured and misused by roving pirate crews; the second night, she had been too cold to fret much; and by the third day, she felt more annoyed than anything. How long did they intend to keep her locked up? It was cold, she was slowly collecting splinters all over her bruised body, and her stomach was complaining about the barely edible bread they kept feeding her. She half wished they would just sell her to a slaver and be done with it – at least a slaver would keep her healthy.

The pirates hadn't bothered keeping a crewman posted outside her cell – even if she could escape, where would she go? Needless to say, after three days she had become bored.

"THEY SAY OLD MAN YOUR FIRST HORSE WILL DIE  
AND THEY SAY SO AND THEY HOPE SO  
OH POOR OLD MAN YOUR FIRST HORSE WILL DIE  
OH POOR OLD MAN!"

It was the most obnoxious and repetitive song Kin knew, and she sang it as loudly as she could.

"SECOND VERSE!

THEY SAY OLD MAN YOUR SECOND HORSE WILL DIE

AND THEY SAY SO AND THEY HOPE SO

OH POOR OLD MAN YOUR SECOND HORSE WILL DIE

OH POOR OLD MAN!"

A crewman stuck his head through the hatch.

"Shut yer damn yap, she-whore! I swear on Din's ass I'll feed you to the octorocks!"

Kin stuck her tongue out at him and kept singing. "THEY SAY OLD MAN YOUR THIRD HORSE WILL DIE!" She knew the crewman couldn't hurt her. Only the captain had the key to her cell. The man spat in her direction and retreated to the deck above. Kin chuckled; it gave her a certain joy to torment her captors, even if it meant she might be worse off later.

Sighing, she lay back down on the splintery bench. _I wonder what happened to the swordsman?_ She didn't know how she had escaped from Mother Isle, and she hardly dared to hope Link might have been saved as well. _And to think...he was the Hero of Time!_ She could still hardly believe it. If she ever found him again, she was going to chain herself to his leg. No way she would pass up on shadowing someone around whom fate swirled so heavily. _Don't you be dead, Swordsman! If you don't give me what I need to write my epic, I'll kill you myself!_

Kin closed her eyes, letting the scene from within Mother Isle replay in her mind.

The climb up the mountain had been torturous. Early that morning, Kin had snuck aboard the dinghy that she knew would be used to ferry the swordsman to Mother Isle and had hidden underneath some old rags. When the three men had beached at the mountainous island, she had quietly slipped off the side of the small rowboat and swam a ways along the shore. From there, it was a simple, yet grueling matter of tailing Link up the mountain. Luckily, the trail curved to and fro enough that Kin almost never had to worry that she might be seen, but there were several times that she lost her footing and was nearly sent flying off the side of the mountain – and no one would ever have known.

By sunset, she had accrued horrible blisters on her hands, a nearly debilitating thirst, and a rather large lump on her head from where a pebble – dislodged, no doubt, by the swordsman on the trail above her – had hit her. She was miserable. Then – suddenly – the path had turned into the mountain. As she peered into the dark cave, she noticed the swordsman's pack leaning against the wall near an empty torch socket. Kin almost cried with relief when she saw the water canteen. It wasn't until she had emptied the bottle that Kin began making her way into the cave.

It was slow going. The tunnel was darker than night – Kin couldn't even see her hand before her face – and the floor was uneven, catching her feet and sending her to her knees more times than she could count. By the time she entered the large cavern with the fairy queen, she was bruised and bleeding.

Kin thought back to what had happened in the cavern. There was so much she didn't understand. Who was Vaati? What did he want? Kin shivered thinking about the strange man; he had scared her – made her feel fear deep in her chest. At the same time though, he made her curious. If he was truly as old as he claimed then he had stood witness to thousands of years of history – history that had been sparsely recorded at best.

There was something else too. As she died, Venus kept saying something about the Sands of Time. "The Sands of Time," Kin muttered to herself as she lay in her cell. "Where have I heard that before?"

There were too many mysteries surrounding the swordsman. Kin giggled with excitement. She couldn't wait to unravel them all.

Several hours later, when the sun was just beginning to drop toward the horizon, a commotion on the deck above woke Kin from the light sleep she had fallen into. She couldn't make out what was being said, but it sounded like the captain's voice. The man looked like a colored rag ball, but Kin knew that beneath it all he was a ruthless killer and should be handled with care. Cheering erupted, followed by a cacophony of activity. Trepidation beset Kin as the hatch to the brig was opened; had her fate been decided?

Through the trapdoor descended the captain – his girth filling the small space – followed closely by his chief mate, a silent yet dangerous man named Rogir, and another figure she couldn't quite make out behind them. She tried to make herself small and unworthy of notice.

"This be the brig," Captain Teas said as his bulk wiggled down the stairs. "It most always be used to keep...guests...we're bartering for ransom. If we cross waters with a merchant vessel as we head west, you may see some o' that for yerself." Teas coughed loudly, then spat. "Right now we have but the one guest, and an odd one at that."

"How's that?" the third man asked, clearly uninterested.

Kin shifted, that voice had sounded familiar. As the trio walked into the light before her cell, the third man became visible. She gasped.

"Swordsman?!"

Link barely even looked at her.

"You know this wench, fool?"

Link shook his head. "I've never seen her before."

"Swordsman!" Kin called out again, confusion washing over her. "Link!"

"What was that she called you?" the captain pressed, his suspicion growing. Rogir put a hand on his sword.

"I have no idea. My name is Telun – named for my sire." Link turned to Kin. There was no recognition of her in his eyes. "My name's Telun, wench. Don't forget it."

His derision hit Kin like a fist, completely dissolving the joy she had felt at seeing him alive. Why was he being so cold? Was this really the swordsman she knew? _Telun...wasn't that the name of one of the sailors aboard the Zephos?_ Kin thought. _What's going on?_

After a moment of silence, Rogir slowly let his hand fall away from his sword.

"Something be funny here," Teas said, slowly looking between the swordsman and Kin. "I don't know what game you're playing, fool, but know that if I find you castin' yer own line behind my back, I won't hesitate to kill you."

Link shrugged. "Like I said, I don't know her." A dangerous edge crept into his voice. "And don't think I would be so easy to kill…_captain_. I wouldn't brandy such threats so freely in untested waters, if you understand my meaning."

The two men locked eyes. Kin could practically taste the tension. Neither man backed down an inch.

Suddenly, Teas broke out in laughter. "I like the cut o' yer jib, boy! You'd make a half-fine captain with another score of years on you."

Kin let go of a deep breath she didn't realize she had been holding. Behind the swordsman, she saw Rogir relax slightly and slide his cutlass back into its sheath.

"I'm afraid that's not my game, captain. I know how to wield a blade, not a crew."

"Aye, that's why I hired you, fool. Don't forget it."

Link nodded, then turned again toward Kin. "I admit I am curious as to why this poor girl thinks she knows me. You said she was an odd guest?"

"Aye; she appeared on deck three suns ago during port watch." The captain looked like he was searching for the right phrase. "She just...appeared...out of the sky, looking like she'd been trampled by a packhorse." He shook his head. "Magic be a dangerous thing. Every bone in my body says I ought to tie her to a cannonball, toss her overboard, and be done with it, but it be against my nature to waste when there's a profit to be made. We'll be keepin' her aboard as a guest until we reach the western islands, then I'll sell her to a slaver and it'll be someone else's problem."

Kin cringed. So she was destined for slavery. _Better than the alternative, I suppose._

"Magic," the swordsman said it like he would a curse. "I've seen more than my share of it, and I'd sooner sink a gold rupee than face it again." Link paused, looking at Kin. "But I'd wager this wench is the victim of a magician, not one herself. Otherwise she'd have disappeared days ago."

Teas grunted.

"If my experience is anything to rely on," Link continued, "I don't think you have anything to worry about; there's no magic in this one."

_What is he doing? _Kin wondered. _Does he really not recognize me, or is he planning something?_ She could barely stand it. 'Just break me out of here already!' she wanted to yell. For the moment though, she decided to hold her tongue. _Either he's lost his mind, or he's up to something,_ she finally concluded. _Whichever it is, saying anything to him again and raising the captain's suspicions won't get me anywhere. Besides,_ she concluded_, it sounds like I'm safe for the moment._

Teas turned back toward the stairs that led to the upper decks. "Mayhap you be right, fool. Mayhap. Don't be gettin' any foul ideas though; this cell stays locked, and the key stays with me." Link followed Teas and Rogir up the wooden steps and through the hatch. "We set sail within the hour. I'll have me mate show you to yer bunk and you'll meet the other hired swords."

"Dry accommodations, I trust?" Link asked.

Just before the swordsman climbed through the hatch and out of sight, Kin thought she saw a speck of light shine back at her from beneath the back of his long green cap.

"What's going on?" she whispered to herself, her head spinning. "What in Farore's name is going on?"

Laying down, Kin closed her eyes. Despite everything, she was still happy to see Link alive. Now she just had to wait and hope he was here to help her.

"Mysteries within mysteries." Kin smiled.


	9. Monsters at Sea

MONSTERS AT SEA

Link followed Rogir across the main deck, still reeling from his encounter with Kin. It had taken all his self-control to not call out to her.

_At least she looked unhurt, _Link thought_. I hope she understands why I couldn't say anything._

Link's mind ran – having Kin aboard drastically changed his plans. Originally, he had intended to jump ship at the next island and barter for passage aboard the first boat headed back to Hyrule Castle. Now though...

Rogir led Link down through a separate hatch near the bow of the ship and through the crew's quarters into a small cargo chamber that had been re-commissioned to host the mercenaries Captain Teas had hired. Half a dozen hammocks had been strung around the room, but only a few of them were filled.

"Name's Petir," spoke out one of the men as soon as the chief mate disappeared. "Go ahead and take whatever nest you think'll be most comfortable; it looks as though we'll be spending quite a bit of time down here."

Each hammock was accompanied by a small trunk. Link walked over to the nearest one and stowed the few supplies he had within. He could still feel Navi clutching his hair beneath his long cap.

"You can call me Telun," Link said, turning back toward the man who had introduced himself. One glance told Link that Petir was no swordsman or archer – a rifleman perhaps? Gunmen were becoming more and more common in Hyrule, though their primitive weapons were painfully inaccurate and slow to reload. "You think the captain means to keep us out of the way?"

"Hardly," spoke a different man from the hammock next to Petir. "He's embarrassed to have us aboard. Out of sight, out of mind so they say." Glancing at the man, Link saw the tone in his arms and recognized him as a veteran swordsman. Judging by the equal muscle mass in each arm, he was likely ambidextrous, and the thick callouses on his hands meant that he probably fought with two swords.

"That's Bartell," Petir offered. "And he's right. With all ships that have gone missing or been attacked in recent months, the captain would be a fool not to hire a few of us, but he doesn't have to like it."

Link nodded. What they said made sense.

"The big guy sleeping in the corner is Trent," said Petir, gesturing to the last of the men in the cabin. "He doesn't talk much, but I've worked with him in the past. He's good with a hammer." Link glanced toward the sleeping giant. If the oversized mallet leaning against the wall next to him was his weapon, he was quite a bit stronger than he looked, and he looked half goron.

"You ever work a group job like this before, Telun?" Petir asked.

"I prefer to work alone," Link replied honestly. "But this was the only ship hiring hands out of Taura."

"Din-blighted captain's trying to get us killed," Bartell grumbled loudly.

Petir smiled apologetically. "Working a group job isn't the same as working solo. We fight as a team, working to each man's strengths, and watch each other's backs."

"And greenhorns like yourself are likely to get everyone killed," Bartell added.

Petir shrugged. "It's been known to happen."

"I know my way around a fight," Link said, annoyance in his voice.

Bartell snorted. "Maybe, but can you take orders on the fly? Can you ignore the easy target for a more strategic move? Can you aim your blade and trust your fellow swordsman to protect your back?" Bartell scoffed. "I doubt it."

Link silently considered that he might _not _be able to do all those things.

"Plus, we can't figure you into our combat style until we know how you fight," Petir said.

"What are your weapons, Greenhorn?" Bartell demanded.

Link seethed inwardly that he was being treated like such a novice. _I need to play nice though_, he told himself._ It won't do Kin or me any good if I make enemies here_.

"I'm a ninth tier archer and a tenth tier long-swordsman," Link replied curtly. Zelda had insisted he be tested to determine his weapon-proficiency after first arriving in Hyrule. He had thought it a stupid exercise at the time. _Damn Zelda...always right in the end._ "I'm also a seventh tier weaponless fighter."

Petir whistled approvingly. "So young, and already a master swordsman? Goddesses, Telun. Those are some pretty impressive numbers if you're speaking the truth."

"Even if he is truthful, it doesn't mean anything if he can't learn to fight as a group," Bartell said. "What about physical merit?"

"Eight tier," Link replied, remembering back to the strenuous strength and speed tests. "I was rated higher on speed than strength."

Petir looked at Link with newfound respect. Bartell seemed unimpressed.

"Tomorrow you'll run through some team exercises," Bartell said gruffly. "Then we'll see if you speak the truth, and if you can learn to fight with us."

Link recognized the muffled creaking from the deck above to mean the anchor was being stowed.

"Looks like we're underway," Bartell said. "I'll take first watch."

Link crawled into his hammock as the brusque man belted on his twin swords and left the cabin.

"Don't worry about Bartell," Petir offered. "He's always been a little bad-tempered."

Link didn't reply. His mind had already returned to the young bard in the brig. _I could break her out, but Teas isn't the sort of man to just let us escape without giving chase. And if this ship is run in a similar manner to the Zephos, there will be a watch stationed at all hours of the night. We would have to fight our way through the whole crew, and I don't know that I could best them all._

As the ship began to sail away from Taura Island, Link closed his eyes. For now he would just have to watch, listen, and wait for an opportunity to present itself.

The next day was hot. Unbearably hot, but Bartell insisted on putting Link through hours of drilling on the main deck anyway.

"What did I just say, Greenhorn? Focus on your adversary, but pay attention to your fellow fighters! If you're standing between the enemy and Petir, how is he supposed to take his shot?" Link growled under his breath and sidestepped to free up Petir's line of sight. "Now get out of the way so Trent can finish him off! Goddesses, how many times do I have to tell you – you're only there to damage and distract. Disarm him if you can, then get the hell out of the way!"

Link hadn't felt so incompetent since he was a boy, and his frustration was only fueling his rage. It wasn't enough for Bartell to degrade every move he made – the gruff old man had to do it in front of the entire crew.

_Kin would sure get a kick out of watching me squirm like this_, Link thought. His mind wondering back to the hapless bard locked away below deck. He still had no idea how he was going to get her off the ship with him. _I could always wait until we arrive at the western islands and the captain sells her off, but we don't have that much time! While we dawdle around here, Vaati gets closer and closer to the Princess._

"What are you doing?! If you don't cover my left flank, I'm completely open to attack! Remember, stay high and keep the enemy's attention while I take out his feet!" Bartell yelled. Link growled again. Fighting as a unit was proving to be more challenging than he had expected. "Move your feet! How am I supposed to fight with you so close?"

Link leapt aside to give Bartell the room he needed for a wide swipe, then leapt back in for a quick jab.

"Better! Now leave him for Trent! No, don't look behind you – Petir is covering your rear. Know where the players are, but focus on the game before you!"

Even though they practiced like that until mid-afternoon, Bartell never ran short of criticisms to throw Link's way. Finally, the older man decided they'd had enough. Sweating profusely, Link filled his canteen and made his way to the ship's starboard railing, letting the soft breeze cool his tired muscles.

"Bartell would never say it, but you picked up on those drills very quickly," Petir said before following the other mercenaries down to the cabin they all shared. "Just remember, we can't trust you to watch our backs if you can't trust us to watch yours."

Link grunted. How could he trust pirates?

As he leaned against the railing, he took a long swig of water, wishing it were mead. Aside from the combat drills, Bartell had also explained to Link how mercenary groups operated aboard ships like the Biri. They stayed, for the most part, separate from the crew, but with each night watch posted by the sailors, one mercenary was expected to remain topside. During the day too, the group of hired soldiers was expected to keep at least on member on deck at all times.

Link slowly made his way back to the mercenaries' shared quarters beneath the forecastle. He needed to get some sleep before his watch later that night.

The next few days followed a similar routine. Link's mornings would be spent running through endless group drills, and his nights would be spent patrolling the main deck. Even when he felt he had mastered a certain exercise, Bartell would make him repeat it a dozen more times before being satisfied. And through it all, he still hadn't discovered a way to safely spirit Kin off the ship.

"There has to be a way!" Link muttered to himself as he lay in his hammock. No matter what angle he contemplated the problem from, he saw no solution.

Link wished he could get a message to Kin, but he didn't dare risk raising the captain's suspicions. There had been several occasions when Link had seriously considered sending a note to the bard via Navi, but he couldn't be sure the bright little fairy would escape notice.

In fact, Link was amazed that Navi had remained hidden as well as she had. For almost a week now, the excitable ball of light had secluded herself in his cap with scarcely a word, even while he slept. He no longer worried that she would reveal herself while he fought, but Link knew he was fooling himself to think her silence could last too much longer. Time was running out for everyone.

Without warning, the alarm bell began to ring out from the deck above.

"Starboard crew on deck!" Rogir's seldom heard voice rang out loudly. "Mercenary crew, get yer asses up here too!"

Link had his weapons slung over his back and was through the cabin door before Rogir's voice died out. Behind him followed Petir and Bartell; Trent was already on deck.

The trio emerged into a flurry of activity.

"Get that line fastened! Unfurl the extra sheets! Helsman, fifteen degrees to port!"

Through the chaos, Link spied Trent near the starboard railing.

"What's going on?" Bartell demanded as they approached.

"Seahats," Trent said, pointing toward a dark cloud the horizon. He had a higher voice than Link had expected.

Link followed his gaze.

"That's...not...possible..." Bartell whispered.

"How many are there?" Petir asked, squinting.

Link gasped. What he had mistaken for a low-hanging storm cloud was actually –

"There're hundreds of them..."

Link tried his best to gauge the speed of the flock. "At this rate, they'll catch us within the half-hour," he said.

Bartell grunted in agreement. "Rogir, we need more speed!" he called out.

"This is all she's got!"

"Why bother? We can't outrun them," Petir asked. For the first time, he sounded uncertain.

"Seahats are territorial," Link answered. "If we can get far enough away, they might abandon the chase."

"Aye, that be the truth." Captain Teas had appeared behind the mercenary group. "Though it be hard to tell whether that'll hold true with so large a flock." The captain spat over the railing. "If not, you lot will have a chance to earn yer wage."

Link tightened his swordbelt.

As the minutes dragged on and the unbelievably large flock drew closer and closer, Link's trepidation grew. No matter what the captain said, if the Seahats all attacked together, there was no way they would survive.

Before long, the air was filled with the _whump whump whump_ of the approaching flock. They were still too far away to see clearly, but Link had encountered Seahats before.

They looked like giant, painted heads; grotesquely long mouths, filled end to end with dangerously sharp teeth, split their bodies; and out from their crowns erupted something akin to biological helicopter blades – always spinning and sharper than a sword. When agitated, groups of three or four had been known to level small islands. Link couldn't imagine the damage that could be done by several hundred of the monsters.

_They'll go through the ship like a wood chipper_. It wasn't a comforting thought.

Another five minutes passed, then ten. Link could feel the wind generated by the collective spinning of their bodies. Another few minutes and the Seahats would be upon them.

"It doesn't look like they're going to stop," Link muttered.

Trent just growled.

The flock was so close now, Link could lock eyes with the first of the monsters. He drew his bow.

"No wait, look!" Petir said, his voice barely audible above the noise of the flock. Link watched, amazed, as dozens of Seahats began to peel of and retreat into the north.

The crew began cheering as more and more of the deadly beasts broke chase.

"Rogir! Get everyone below deck!" Bartell yelled above the racket.

Link readied himself. Even though most of the flock had vanished, the closest Seahats – over a dozen of them – were refusing to back down.

Bartell began yelling orders as the last of the crew disappeared through the forward hatch. "Petir, Link, get onto the quarter deck and start firing off shots as soon as you can't miss! Petir, when they breach the stern, retreat back to the forecastle! Link, you cover him back to the mainmast! Trent –" Link didn't hear the rest as he and Petir sprinted to the rear of the ship.

"I guess now we'll see how good you really are with that bow," Petir said, loading his rifle.

Link ignored him. In one quick motion he drew and arrow from his quiver and nocked it. The Seahats were just over a hundred yards away, much too long a shot for the typical archer. Sighting the nearest flying head, Link took a deep breath. As he exhaled, he drew the bowstring to his cheek and released. A few seconds later, the unlucky Seahat splashed into the sea.

"Goddesses, you weren't kidding," Petir said, bringing his rifle to his shoulder. Link let two more arrows fly – and sent two more Seahats into the ocean – before Petir let off one shot. Within just a few minutes, nine of the flying beasts were dead in the water. "Here they come!" Petir shouted. There were five Seahats remaining. As the first of them crossed into the air above the stern, Link drew the Master Sword.

"Go!" he yelled at Petir, not knowing if the lanky man could hear him. The sound of the Seahat's helicopter blades was deafening. Link could feel the pressure against his ears.

The first Seahat attacked. With a burst of speed, it flew toward Link and Petir, spinning blades angled forward, looking to slice them to ribbons.

Yelling, Link parried the attack as Petir leapt onto the main deck and ran toward the forecastle. After rolling away from a second Seahat, Link followed.

Bartell gestured to Link from where he stood near the mainmast. Trent was nowhere to be found.

Skidding to a halt next to Bartell, Link adopted his familiar ready stance. Beside him, Bartell did the same.

_WHUMP. WHUMP. WHUMP._

The pressure was almost unbearable. Link's clothes flapped wildly around him.

"Ready yourself!" Someone yelled through the din. Link thought it might have been him. The first wave of Seahats began their attack. Together, Link and Bartell parried them to the outside.

_BANG_. A shot rang in the air. The monster nearest Link collapsed onto the deck. Petir began reloading from his perch on the forecastle.

Another duo of Seahats engaged Link – flying toward him blades first. Out of nowhere, Trent leapt from the rigging above with an almighty roar. He landed on the first beast with a sickening crunch. The whole ship seemed to shake. Before the other Seahat could react, Trent swung his hammer into the back of its soft body. Black blood splattered across the deck.

The remaining two Seahats held back; they were more cautious than the rest.

Then, suddenly, they attacked.

Together, the two Seahats soared toward Link, Trent, and Bartell.

Link readied himself, as did the two men beside him.

_BANG._

One of the beasts crashed into the deck. The other, as if expecting the shot, immediately swung left and charged toward Petir.

"Shit!" Bartell cursed as Petir barely managed to dive away from the spinning blades.

The Seahat swung around for another pass. Petir struggled to get to his feet.

Link knew there was no way for any of them to get there in time to help, and the rifleman wouldn't be able to dodge another attack.

"Trent!" Link yelled, desperate. "Throw me!"

Trent didn't hesitate. Tossing his giant hammer aside, he held out his enormous hands.

_Goddesses, this man is huge, _Link barely had time to think as he leapt onto a palm as big as a barstool. He crouched and pulled the Master Sword close to his body.

In one motion, Trent spun once and hurled Link through the air.

His aim was true.

With a wild, mid-air swing, Link split the Seahat in two before crashing into the wooden deck.

Silence.

Link lay still where he landed, breathing heavily. The only sound was that of the hull creaking beneath him.

After the excitement generated by the Seahat encounter died down, things went more or less back to normal aboard the Biri. Bartell no longer insisted that Link be put through group combat drills, but Link soon discovered that, without the exercises to fill his morning, he had little else to do except lay in his hammock and contemplate Kin and his escape. Each idea he imagined was more outlandish and unrealistic than the last, and time was running out. It wouldn't be long before he was forced to either abandon Kin or risk fighting the whole crew.

As the most novice mercenary, Link had been assigned the graveyard watch on deck. So, for six hours every night, he would walk around the upper decks. For the most part he kept to himself, but occasionally he would come into contact with the pirate sailors who also kept the night watch.

"Goddess-damned ghoul rats got into another cask of biscuits," Link over heard one man say as he and his companion walked past. The crisp night breeze bit at Link's long, Hylian ears as he sat against the mainmast, Master Sword nestled in the crook of his arm. The moon was absent, and the night was dark. The only light was that birthed from the trio of lanterns posted along the deck and the foreign constellations that peppered the sky.

"Din's ass, that figures," the other man replied. "If only we could see the little bastards."

"Last ship I pillaged on had a cat that'd hunt the things."

"Yeah? Sounds like a load of fish guts. Did you ever see it catch one?"

"No, but then you can't see them. Cat jumped around like crazy though."

"So you got yerself a stupid cat and thought it were killing ghoul rats? Bloody fool!" The man guffawed loudly.

"Watch yer mouth! I'd bet me mother's life on it. We never did have any problems with the vermin on that ship."

The men walked too far away for Link to hear. He sighed. Soon enough, the two men came back into earshot as they circled the ship.

"You think the cap'n cares what happens to the mead?"

"Well it's his mead too, ain't it?"

"Nah, I hear he's got his own store of fancy wine and brandy in his cabin."

"I got half a mind to string him up and take the ship if that be true. Booze oughta be shared with the crew."

"Shh! Don't let no one hear you talk that foolishness!"

"Why not? I been hearing a lot of such talk in the mess. Any more of the mead starts leaking, cap'n is going to have a mutiny on his hands."

The two men walked away again, their muffled voices dying out behind the sloshing of the sea as it rolled beneath the ship.

In the darkness, Link smiled.

He had an idea.


	10. Escape

ESCAPE

It had been almost a week since the uproar on deck that Kin had later come to understand as a Seahat attack. She hoped the swordsman was alright; Kin hadn't seen hide nor hair of him since their first encounter, and she was starting to wonder if he was going to help her at all. _Maybe he escaped_, she thought. _Maybe he's dead_. The thought left a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Kin had fallen into a daily routine in her small cell: wake at dawn with the changing of the watch, force down a breakfast of maggoty bread and muddy water, fall back to sleep for several hours, then spend the afternoon lost in thought. She mostly thought about Link – about her dream. Occasionally, she even thought about home, though the practice never failed to turn her mood sour. She would never forgive what happened. And even though she might at times admit to herself that she missed the craggily cliffs and wandering mountain paths of the island she was born on, she could never shelf the hurt and anger that still lingered in her heart all these years later. The words that were spoken could never be unsaid; the damage could not be undone.

With a sigh, Kin lay back on the hard bench. "You know, when I left home, I never expected to end up here," she told the growing darkness in her cell. The sun was setting. Another day gone by. She closed her eyes.

"Who are you taking to?" a strange voice asked.

Kin jolted upright. Was it her imagination, or was her cell a little bit brighter? She looked around; no one had descended through the hatch. There was nobody else in the brig.

"Great," she muttered, rubbing her eyes. "I've lost my mind." She pondered herself for a moment. "I don't _feel_ any different. Perhaps I've been insane all this time." Laughing nervously, she lay back down.

After a moment, she closed her eyes again.

"Hey! Wake up, crazy bard! We're saving you!" A bright light erupted in front of her face and something landed on her nose.

Kin leapt to her feet, her heart beating wildly. Her eyes flew open, and were immediately blinded.

"Ah!" she yelled, falling backwards onto the bench. Squinting, she focused on trying to keep calm. Slowly, her eyes adjusted to the light.

There, sitting on the bridge of her nose, its wings slowly flapping to keep balance, was a fairy.

"Hi!" the little ball of light said.

Kin's heart was beating too fast to speak. For a moment, it was all she could do to breathe.

"Hi," she eventually replied, at a loss for words. She was starting to develop a headache from crossing her eyes. Kin blinked a few times. It didn't help.

"I'm Navi!" the fairy exclaimed, clearly not worried that she might be heard.

"I'm...Kin."

"Hehe, I know! You're the crazy bard!"

Kin blinked again. "Where...where did you come from? Are you with Link?"

Navi leapt off of Kin's nose and began to zip around the small cell.

"Yup! We're rescuing you! I'm being helpful!"

"Rescuing me?" Kin shook her head. _Finally!_ "How?"

"I'm supposed to stay down here with you and make sure you're ready to go as soon as Link gets here!"

"What's he doing?"

"Dunno!"

"Well that figures," Kin muttered. Her adrenaline was beginning to run. She stood up and started pacing the cell. She had so many questions! How did a fairy end up with Link? Was Navi from Mother Isle? But questions would have to wait until after they escaped. _Just focus on one thing at a time._

"How long is he going to be?"

"Dunno!" Navi replied again in a sing-song voice. She was clearly enjoying herself.

Kin forced herself to stop pacing; she needed to conserve her energy. After two weeks of being cooped up without much food, she was feeling awfully weak.

A minute passed, then two.

Slowly – so slowly that by the time Kin noticed, she couldn't remember how long it had been going on – muffled yelling began to drift down from the decks above, followed by a thunderous noise as dozens of feet clomped across the ship.

"What is going on?" Kin whispered to herself. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

Another few minutes passed. The yelling died out slightly for a long while. Then, suddenly, it rose to a fever-pitch. The noise was deafening! Gun shots rang out into the night air. Saltwater and blood splattered the side of the ship as bodies fell overboard and splashed into the Great Sea. Swords clashed. Screams rent the night air.

Kin recoiled when the hatch to the brig was thrown open and a shadowy figure began to descend the uneven wooden stairs. In the darkness, she had no idea who it might be.

Navi, seemingly unconcerned, bounced over to the figure through the bars of the cell, illuminating Link.

"Swordsman!"

"I did it! I made sure she was ready to go, just like you said!" Navi sung proudly.

"Good," Link said, obviously distracted. He glanced behind himself again. Drawing near to Kin's prison, he removed an old iron key from his belt-pouch and unlocked the cell door.

"Damnit," he muttered as the door swung open. "The key broke." He tossed the useless pieces to the ground. They clattered as they bounced along the wooden planks. "You would think they'd be sturdier."

"That was the captain's key!" Kin exclaimed. "How did you–"

"Not now. Come on!" Link cut her off, already headed for the stairs. His sword was drawn. Navi floated around his head for a moment, then darted underneath his hat as he disappeared onto the upper deck.

After a moment, Kin followed.

It was a battlefield. Bodies were strewn about. Some still moaned, clutching at wounds. A mob was could still be seen upon the quarterdeck, near the captain's quarters. Link pressed a finger to his lips, motioning for Kin to remain quiet, and slowly began to make his way toward the rowboat that hung near the starboard railing. Kin followed nervously. _What the hell is going on?_

As she tip-toed through the darkness, she became aware that the mob near the quarterdeck was chanting. The words were...vulgar. Kin tried to shut her ears to it.

Link reached the rowboat just a few moments before Kin. He quickly untied the rope that held it suspended above the water and, with one hand grasping the rope to keep the dinghy steady, motioned for her to get in.

Heart beating wildly – from excitement almost as much as from fear – Kin slowly leaned over the railing and grasped the rowboat. She tried to ignore the thirty foot drop below her as she carefully rolled into the small craft. It swayed unsettlingly beneath her.

Slowly – ever so slowly – Link began to lower the boat. As it descended, Kin lost sight of the swordsman over the Biri's railing. Seconds seemed like minutes as, inch by inch, the rowboat neared the sea. Twenty feet. Fifteen feet. There was a loud noise from above. The rowboat jerked to a stop. Kin stifled a surprised cry. She didn't dare call out and see what was the matter. Yelling. Swords clashed once. Twice. The dinghy suddenly plunged into the sea as the rope that held it was released. Kin screamed.

"Link?!" she called out, discarding caution in favor of concern. No answer. "Link!"

Without warning, a green blur dove over the railing, followed closely by a bright pinprick of light. Another gunshot rang out as Link flew through the air. Kin could see the spray of blood; it looked like red dust in the lamplight. Even before he slid into the water, Kin had the oars in hand. She rowed toward him as quickly as she was able. Reaching over the side, she grasped the back of his tunic and helped haul him aboard.

Once in the dinghy, Link immediately jumped to the oars and began frantically rowing into the darkness. Navi again hid herself in his hat.

"It's nothing personal, Telun!" a voice called out from the ship. If anymore words were said, Kin couldn't hear them; they were too far away now, and the sea was too loud. In the distance, she thought she could see a fire burning aboard the ship and the silhouette of a figure strung by his neck to the mainmast in the red glow.

Link continued to row furiously for more than an hour. Kin couldn't believe the extent of his stamina. He was still rowing when she fell asleep. The darkness was impenetrable.

* * *

Morning came slowly to the trio aboard the small rowboat. Groaning, Kin forced herself awake only once the sun had completely cleared the horizon. For a moment, she didn't know where she was.

"Link!" Her heart leapt in her chest as she leapt to her feet, causing the rowboat to sway dangerously. _I saw him get shot! Goddesses!_

With a comical snort, Link sat up, yelled, and swung his sword above his head groggily. "I'll shove my sword up your–"

Laughing, Kin dove onto Link and hugged him. Navi, awakened by the commotion, flew happy circles around the duo. "Good morning!" she sung.

"Owww," Link moaned, still half asleep.

"Tch, sorry," Kin muttered, climbing off of him. "Are you alright?"

"I think so," Link replied, stretching. "I'm just a little—" He cried out in pain and clutched his left thigh just above the knee.

"Swordsman!"

Blood seeped out between Link's fingers.

"I got shot," Link muttered between clenched teeth. "Shit."

Kin knelt next to the bench that Link was seated upon. "Here, prop your leg up," she said. He grunted in pain, but complied. Slowly, Kin pried his hands free of his thigh so she could look at the wound.

The bullet had just grazed him, but still a large chunk of skin and muscle was missing from the side of his leg.

"Keep pressure on it," she said, guiding his hands back to the injury. She tried to ignore how the callouses on his fingers felt when they brushed her palm.

Snatching Link's long hat, she dipped it in seawater and wound it tightly around his leg. He hissed when the salty fabric touched the gash.

"The salt helps clean the wound," Kin said, more to herself than him. She hated blood.

"Um..." Navi's voice quivered. "Is Link going to die?"

Link rolled his eyes. He looked different without the green cap. Unruly blonde hair flew out in every direction.

"He'll be fine as long as it doesn't get infected." Kin smiled at the fairy.

"Oh, good!" Navi sang out, her fears instantly relieved.

Kin and Link sat back quietly, pondering their midnight escape, reveling in the silence – the momentary safety. For the first time in almost a month, they were free from worry. Navi bounced around jovially, humming, glad to be free of Link's cap for the first time in just as long.

The Great Sea was calm. It sloshed up slothfully against the hull of the small rowboat. The few cotton clouds in the sky didn't interrupt the warm light of the morning sun. A soft breeze kissed Kin's hair, blowing wisps around her lips. The bard relaxed – totally relaxed – and let out a quiet sigh of harmony.

"So..." Kin began slowly, loath to lose the peaceful moment but too curious to hold her questions any longer, "Was all that uproar last night your doing?" She knew the answer, but asked anyway.

"Aye," Link said. His eyes were closed and his face turned upward in obvious serenity. "I've been breaking ale barrels and setting ghoul rats to the food fer almost a week now. Didn't take much talk to set the crew upon the Cap'n like 'twas his doing."

Kin giggled. After two weeks of hiding amongst the pirates, Link had adopted a seaman's accent. She wondered how long it would linger.

"They was stringing Rogir up from the mainmast when I swiped the captain's key and came got you."

"Will they follow us?" Kin asked. Teas didn't seem like a man to let her escape without grudge.

"Don't think so," Link replied. "It was my hope the mutiny would hold his attention for some time. If he aren't dead already."

Kin was impressed – it was a good plan.

"So where are we?" she asked, looking around as if she could discern by sight where upon the Great Sea they sat.

Link was quiet for a moment. "It was not easy to catch a look at the captain's charts, so I'm not totally sure, but I think we're near the Fire Belt."

Kin went silent. The Fire Belt was a series of volcanic islands in the northwestern part of the Great Sea. It was a place she knew well. It was a place to which she had never thought to return.

While she was lost in thought, Link turned to the small fairy. "Navi, I need you to fly as high as you can and try to find us an island."

"Ok!" Navi zipped straight upward. Kin tried to follow the fairy with her eyes, but soon lost sight of the small ball of light.

Link chuckled quietly. "She grows on you," he muttered.

Kin looked at Link. For the first time since learning he was the Hero of Time, she really looked at Link. If she thought back to her childhood, she couldn't quite reconcile the man before her with the legendary figure from her bedtime stories. If she looked deeper though – really looked into his eyes – she could see a fire that set him apart.

He glanced over and met her gaze. "What?"

Kin saw pain in his eyes too. "You. The Hero of Time. It's hard to believe."

Link nodded. "It's even harder for me," he said. "But too much has happened for it not to be true." More quietly he added, "I wish to the Goddesses 'twas not true."

For the first time, Kin felt like she understood Link. So much had been thrust upon him – responsibility, destiny, power. He was a slave to the will of the Goddesses; it was a cruel thing. Few would ever understand: he was a hero not because of his feats of strength or his courage, but because he shouldered this burden when no one else could.

Kin lowered her gaze, humbled, at least for the moment.

"Din's ass, don't get like that," Link said. "Not you too."

Laughing Kin shrugged. "I'm not going to lick your boots, Swordsman." She adopted a serious countenance. "But you're going to make a damn good epic."

Link chuckled, but to Kin's amazement, didn't argue.

Navi suddenly appeared as if out of nowhere. "I flew really high! I could almost touch the clouds! I've never flown that high before," she said excitedly.

"Did you see anything?" Kin asked.

The little fairy nodded with her whole body. "Yup! There's an island _really_ far that way," she said, motioning southeast. "It was almost too far away to see, even from way up there!"

"Sounds like a trip," Link muttered. "We'll have to take shifts at the oars."

Link rowed first – for almost two hours. Kin's arms gave out after thirty minutes. "Don't push yourself too hard, we have a long way to go," Link had said before reclaiming his perch. They kept at it until late in the afternoon, when they broke for the day and shared a meal of stale biscuit and water that Link had stowed away in the rowboat before their escape. The gunshot wound was swollen and red when Kin hazarded removing Link's hat-made-bandage.

The next day was much the same, but with more breaks between shifts at the oars.

"What's the plan?" Kin suddenly asked during one such break. "You still haven't told me."

"Huh?"

"I mean...Vaati." Kin shivered. "What are we going to do?"

Link shrugged. Kin could see, though, that the dismissive gesture hid anxiety. "Find a ship; return to Castle Town; warn Zelda."

"What about the thing Venus mentioned? The Sands of Time?"

Link froze. Kin's stomach dropped; had she said something wrong? "I..." Link began, paused, then continued. "If I had any idea what the Sands of Time were – or even where to start looking – I wouldn't hesitate, but I've never heard of the thing before."

"I have," Kin said simply.

Link nearly capsized the rowboat when he jumped to his feet. "Where?!"

"I've had a lot of free time recently," she said sardonically, thinking back to her weeks in the pirate's brig, "and with the recent...admission...of your identity, I spent much of that time mentally reciting every song, story, and poem I know about the Hero of Time."

The impatient look in Link's eyes cut her story short.

"Anyway, I thought the Sands of Time sounded familiar." Kin took a deep breath before reciting:

"Of sorrow will he be reborn,

Of despair will he prevail

The demon slain, the cycle restored

His loss will mark his tale.

O' rejoice! Nation unawares.

O' lament! Hero of Time.

May he find the melodious tune;

May he find the Sands of Time!"

Link was speechless.

"You should recognize the poem; it's from the Prophecy of Ages," Kin said. "You had me play it for you on the Zephos."

Link nodded. Anger was threatening to well up in him again. Fate, it seemed, controlled him like a puppet on strings. There was no escaping it. "It doesn't really help us though," Link finally said sullenly. "A dead-end clue."

"Indeed," Kin agreed. "The prophecy is only a few hundred years old. No Hero of Time since has fulfilled it – at least not to my knowledge – so we don't have any history that might guide us to the answer."

Link muttered something unintelligible.

"Hmm?" Kin asked absently, lost in thought.

"I did it," Link muttered, this time a little louder. "It's about me."

"What is?" Kin asked, confused.

"The prophecy," Link said slowly, forcing every word out. He closed his eyes. "It's about me. I fulfilled it."

Silence.

For a time, Kin couldn't even hear the waves break upon the dinghy. She didn't feel the rolling of the sea beneath her, or the hot sun upon her cheek.

"H—how?" she finally asked, dumbfounded. "No, you must be mistaken." Kin said before he could respond. "The prophecy tells of the return of Ganon – of war. Nothing like that has happened since before you or I was born." She shook her head.

"And it won't again for another three-thousand." Link's words were nonsensical. Kin buried her head in her hands.

"Kin," Link began. "You know the old stories – about the hero that appeared from the forest and sealed Ganon away for the first time."

Kin nodded.

"In the stories, he used great magic to travel through time and defeat the King of Darkness. That's where the title comes from – The Hero of Time." Link paused for a moment. "Kin...I'm not—I'm not from the Hyrule you know."

Kin's eyes widened. She was beginning to understand. "Where—" she began to ask. Link interjected.

"When." He sighed. "I was born a long, long time from now in a future where magic is dead and monsters are creatures of myth."

Kin didn't say anything – couldn't say anything. Link was silent as well. For many hours, the only sound was the hum of Navi's wings as she floated lazy circles above the boat. Eventually Link returned to the oars and continued to row.

Kin watched him with veiled eyes. She couldn't imagine the lives he had lived or the places he had seen.

"That is a story you will have to tell me someday, Swordsman," Kin finally said.

"Someday, perhaps," Link agreed quietly.


End file.
